SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 02/14/19 Dallas Stars 1130623 Kevin Boyle shines in debut as Ducks stop losing skid with 1130654 Stars' Seguin, Klingberg now wearing letters in every 1-0 win over Canucks game as Dallas continues search for consistency 1130624 Kings' Carl Hagelin knows he may be dealt before NHL's 1130655 Stars' and Tyler Seguin give up their secrets trading deadline to having a successful Valentine's Day 1130625 Ducks end 7-game losing streak as goalie Kevin Boyle 1130656 Teenagers Luka Doncic and Miro Heiskanen are primed to shuts out Canucks give Dallas sports fans the ride of a lifetime 1130626 Ducks Kevin Boyle gets first NHL start, and makes most of it 1130657 Detroit Red Wings TV analyst Darren Eliot leaves; who's replacing him? 1130627 Alex Galchenyuk getting hot at the right time for the 1130658 Martin Frk's time with Detroit Red Wings coming to an end Arizona Coyotes 1130659 Why Detroit Red Wings are better off not trading these 1130628 Coyotes president, CEO Cohen offers latest update on three players potential sale, arena 1130660 Eliot leaving Red Wings TV broadcast team 1130629 Tocchet: Kuemper still adjusting to role of Coyotes’ lead 1130661 Career year could make Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist a goaltender prime trade target 1130662 Red Wings put seldom-used Martin Frk on waivers 1130663 Red Wings snap 3-game skid beating Predators, 3-2 1130630 Bruins should be fine without David Pastrnak — until the playoffs 1130631 Bruins recall forward Karson Kuhlman from Providence 1130664 Connor McDavid and as advertised but 1130632 Bruins gear up for long road trip Edmonton Oilers fall short again 1130633 Bruins call up Karson Kuhlman in possible third line center 1130665 Not just offence that makes Sidney Crosby an NHL audition superstar 1130634 For at least one night, Bruins show there is life without 1130666 Edmonton Oilers Game Day: Road trip begins in David Pastrnak Pittsburgh 1130667 Taking stock of Oilers positives as they enter the final third of a dismal 2018-19 season 1130635 Linus Ullmark: Meet the man behind the Minions mask, quirks and all Florida Panthers 1130668 Preview: Flames at Panthers, 7 p.m., Thursday 1130636 Pragmatic Flames look to halt slide 1130637 GameDay: Flames hope to stop the bleeding in Florida 1130669 Kings' Carl Hagelin knows he may be dealt before NHL's 1130638 ‘Modest and a joker:’ Sean Monahan’s childhood friends trading deadline say nothing has changed except his notoriety 1130670 Kings’ Trevor Lewis thrilled to be back after three ‘frustrating’ months 1130671 FORBORT AS WHITE CHOCOLATE, FANTENBERG’S 1130639 It wasn’t as epic as Duke’s comeback, but the Canes also OPPORTUNITY, INGHAM’S GROWTH, MORE rallied to a win 1130640 Hurricanes Overcome Senators With 4 in the 3rd 1130672 Bruce Boudreau shouldn't be the Wild's fall guy ... for Blackhawks however the season turns out 1130641 Blackhawks recall when they fell in love with hockey: 'I 1130673 Wild equipment managers thrown into high gear this time didn't want to leave my seat' of year 1130642 Everything going Blackhawks' way as they push for playoff spot Montreal Canadiens 1130643 Why flip-flopping goalies is working for the Blackhawks 1130674 Canadiens Notebook: Predators coach is impressed by 1130644 ‘My whole life is different now’: Blackhawks share the Habs' speed human – and hectic – side of NHL trades 1130675 Analyze This: Kudos to Claude Julien for unleashing Canadiens' offence Colorado Avalanche 1130676 Milestone match for Canadiens Shea Weber in 1130645 Colorado nonprofit and Humboldt Broncos bonded by Music City hockey, overcoming tragedy 1130677 Montreal Canadiens award bursaries to local 1130646 Five takeaways from the Colorado’s eighth consecutive student-athletes loss 1130647 Avs losing streak hits eight games in loss to Toronto 1130648 The Show is coming to an Avalanche game 1130678 Five issues plaguing Predators and how to fix them near you soon 1130679 NJ Devils looking for bigger impact from AHL players 1130649 500th game 'pretty special' to Cam Atkinson 1130680 NJ Devils failed to 'create own bounces' in loss to 1130650 Josh Anderson shakes off clean, but painful, hit by 1130681 Tales from the road: Devils recall logistical ‘nightmares’ Capitals' Tom Wilson from call-ups, demotions and trades 1130651 Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 0 | Five takeaways 1130652 LeBrun Notebook: A scenario where Columbus would keep Artemi Panarin (at least for the stretch drive) 1130653 439 pounds of bad intentions: Josh Anderson withstands collision with Tom Wilson New York Islanders 1130682 Islanders benefiting from increased scoring production by 1130713 Timeline for Erik Karlsson’s return clears up slightly their defensemen 1130714 Thoughts: how Sharks’ Brent Burns pulled ahead in the 1130683 As trade market comes into focus, an updated look at Norris Trophy race potential deadline acquisitions for the Islanders 1130715 Sharks can take advantage of topsy-turvy Pacific Division down stretch 1130716 Sharks' Erik Karlsson discusses injury, recovery after 1130684 Mats Zuccarello should be the exception to Rangers’ fire return to practice sale 1130717 NHL rumors: Sharks not expected to make big splash at 1130685 Rangers' Kevin Hayes: 'I know the deadline's coming trade deadline close' 1130718 Sharks will welcome back Erik Karlsson, while Brenden Dillon’s development gives Sharks options on defense NHL 1130686 Seattle NHL team taps local tech entrepreneur to head up St Louis Blues digital efforts 1130719 Blues look to distance themselves from the pack 1130687 NHL goalies do best to defend the unpredictable at net 1130720 Preview: Blues at Arizona 1130721 MacEachern, fourth line playing first-rate for Blues Senators 1130722 Schwartz's work ethic helped him keep his sanity during 1130688 Belleville to host rookie tournament featuring Senators, -less streak Jets and Canadiens 1130723 Blues trade deadline primer: How the winning streak has 1130689 GAME DAY: at Detroit Red Wings changed their plans 1130690 Senators pick up the pieces and pack for an uncertain future 1130724 Lightning’s defense continues to improve 1130725 Lightning-Flames: Observations from Tampa Bay’s 1130691 Flyers hosted second annual Hockey for Her event scoring-frenzy matchup 1130692 After early-season struggles, Flyers’ Ivan Provorov 1130726 Two trades in 2017 invested in the Lightning’s future at the wearing it well these days blue line 1130693 Flyers-Wild observations: Travis Sanheim channels Bobby Orr 1130694 With deadline nearing, who is the Flyers' next trade chip? 1130727 Leafs give Nylander time and space to round into form | 1130695 Flyers keep defining themselves by resilience under Scott The Star Gordon 1130728 Game Day: Maple Leafs at Golden Knights 1130696 Flyers 5, Wild 4: 10 things we learned from a poor start 1130729 Feeling in Leafs dressing room is one of calm as trade turned comeback victory deadline nears 1130730 Rielly left in Babcock’s plans on Leafs blue line 1130697 Matt Murray turns back Connor McDavid, leads Penguins past Oilers 1130747 Ducks 1 Canucks 0: Goals go missing as power play can’t 1130698 Zach Aston-Reese probable, Dominik Simon likely out for cash in Penguins vs. Oilers 1130748 Ed Willes: Canucks hopeful their backup plan works if 1130699 Penguins shelve outrage over Evgeni Malkin suspension Markstrom’s back doesn’t 1130700 Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid show off individual 1130749 Canucks Game Day: Duck hunting for a must-win strengths when superstars collide 1130701 Penguins defense faces stern test with Olli Maatta injured, Connor McDavid in town 1130731 If Golden Knights need motivation, ‘soft’ label should do 1130702 First call: Different take on Evgeni Malkin's stick-, the job crazy night in college hoops 1130732 5 issues facing the Golden Knights for NHL playoff run 1130703 Tim Benz, Mark Spector discuss Penguins, Oilers 1130733 Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves part of NHL Black History matchup; Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby comparisons Month video 1130704 Teddy Blueger has made ‘a pretty strong argument’ to 1130734 How I got traded? Golden Knights reveal what happened stay with Penguins when they were dealt 1130705 Matt Murray denies Connor McDavid on shot, stands tall in another Penguins win 1130706 Dave Molinari’s Penguins Report Card: Penguins 3, 1130735 As Capitals’ penalties mount, so does team’s frustration Edmonton 1 1130736 Capitals potential trade deadline target: The case for and 1130707 Joe Starkey: Is Sidney Crosby still the best player in the against Gustav Nyquist world? Yes, and I’ll tell you why 1130737 Encouraged by his wife, Braden Holtby continues actively 1130708 Star showdown features much, much more for Penguins championing the LGBTQ community 1130709 Penguins turn to Chad Ruhwedel with Olli Maatta out; 1130738 439 pounds of bad intentions: Josh Anderson withstands Justin Schultz not quite ready collision with Tom Wilson 1130710 Penguins goalies give nod to Steelers with Stadium Series masks 1130711 Penguins (mostly) mum on missing Malkin 1130712 In a game that showcased stars, perhaps Penguins found their bottom six Websites 1130750 The Athletic / From pucks to politics: Ex-NHLer Sean Bergenheim running for Finnish Parliament 1130751 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Which NHL teams are under the most pressure at the trade deadline? 1130752 The Athletic / NHL Trade Deadline: What to expect from all 31 teams 1130753 The Athletic / Historical look at deadline deals involving first-round picks and how infrequently they move th 1130754 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: All eyes on Senators as trade deadline nears 1130755 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Markstrom solid in return from injury scare 1130756 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs juggle defensive pairings despite winning ways 1130757 Sportsnet.ca / How have the Anaheim Ducks so quickly become a disaster? 1130758 Sportsnet.ca / Jets Notebook: Can trade deadline move spark Patrik Laine? 1130759 Sportsnet.ca / Sportsnet’s 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: February 1130760 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: Who's Selling? Who's Buying? Edition 1130761 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Shea Weber feeling more at home in Montreal 1130762 Sportsnet.ca / Senators expect changes to come before four game road trip ends 1130763 TSN.CA / Babcock: Keeping Rielly on his strong side is key 1130764 TSN.CA / Senators should be buyers at the trade deadline 1130765 TSN.CA / Countdown to TradeCentre: Senators picking up the phone? 1130766 USA TODAY / Ducks finally show emotion, win general manager Bob Murray's first game as coach 1130739 Virtual Hellebuyck helps Canadian gamer 1130740 Morrow munching more minutes 1130741 Ehlers' return delayed for up to three weeks 1130742 GAMEDAY: Five keys to Jets vs Avalanche 1130743 Statue worthy? Maurice sees big things ahead for Scheifele 1130744 Morrow making most of chance: Injuries on back end gave Jets D-man more playing time 1130745 EHLERS DELAYED: Jets forward now 1-3 weeks from return 1130746 How NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone month connects two worlds and realities for one Winnipeg Jets staffer SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1130623 Anaheim Ducks

Kevin Boyle shines in debut as Ducks stop losing skid with 1-0 win over Canucks

By MIKE COPPINGER

The second iteration of life after is off to an auspicious start in Anaheim.

Ducks general manager Bob Murray is manning the bench for the remainder of the season after he fired Carlyle on Sunday, and he’s undefeated in his coaching career. The 64-year-old made his NHL coaching debut Wednesday in a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center.

The goals still aren’t coming, and the Ducks were still outperformed in the shot department, but they have a win on home ice for the first time in 2019 and their first since Dec. 12.

Kevin Boyle delivered a 35-save shutout in his first NHL start. The long- time minor-leaguer finally received the call with injuries to John Gibson and and fulfilled a lifelong dream at 26.

Boyle put his hands on his mask as the final horn sounded, and the bench emptied to indulge in the victory, surely a weight lifted off their backs after a tumultuous season that sunk them to the bottom of the Western Conference.

“To be able to just come out here and get a win in the first game — I can’t even describe it,” said Boyle, who made his NHL debut in a relief effort against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

The win ends a seven-game losing streak, a run of defeats that spelled the end for Carlyle in Anaheim for the second and likely final time. With change came renewed energy. It was apparent in the way the Ducks’ forwards forechecked from the opening puck drop. The team might not be playing for much this season, but Murray is on the bench for a reason: to steal a closer look at his group heading into a pivotal offseason (and perhaps even this month’s trade deadline).

Jakob Silfverberg is the likely focal point of any trade discussions Murray would hold with other clubs. The two-way forward is a pending unrestricted free agent and an attractive rental for a contender. Murray said he’d like to lock up Silfverberg long term, but if that doesn’t come to fruition, he could be moved. For now, though, Silfverberg was happy to finally enjoy some success.

“I definitely think there was a little bit of extra jump in our legs today,” said Silverberg, who leads the club with 13 goals. “Emotion is something we’ve been kind of missing. ... I think we did a good job of playing with emotion and playing with emotion the right way meaning getting up the ice and playing with our feet. ... all over the ice. Those one-on-one battles, you gotta win them.”

Finally, the Ducks did just that after a lethargic stretch that spanned from December into February and past the All-Star break and team’s bye.

Max Jones, a Ducks first-round pick in 2016, impressed with his ferocious play on the puck. The veterans showed their tenacity, too — both Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf dropped the gloves against Canucks opponents.

For at least one night, the Ducks were able to forget about their lingering issues and just play hockey.

Kevin Boyle makes 35 saves to help the Ducks snap their seven-game losing streak in a chippy game against the Vancouver Canucks.

LA Times: LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130624 Anaheim Ducks When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: iHeartRadio (LA Kings Audio Network).

Kings' Carl Hagelin knows he may be dealt before NHL's trading deadline Update: Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson is the overwhelming favorite for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. He had 25 goals (on 98 shots) and 51 points through Tuesday.

By CURTIS ZUPKE LA Times: LOADED: 02.14.2019

This time of the year is both familiar and new for Carl Hagelin.

He knows what it’s like to have his career and life suddenly change with a phone call. He has been traded three times, to the Ducks in 2015, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and to the Kings in November.

But none of those trades occurred at the trade deadline, and Hagelin is aware that he could check off that box before the clock strikes noon on Feb. 25.

“I think I’ve been in the league long enough to know what’s going on this time of year,” Hagelin said. “I’ve never been traded, myself, at the deadline. But I think if you’re a UFA [unrestricted free agent] without a contract for next year, there’s always a chance or risk of getting traded. But right now I’m just focused on playing my best hockey here and trying to climb back with this team.”

Hagelin is a targeted rental player because of an expiring contract that the Kings can shed after they acquired him for Tanner Pearson. He’s highly attractive to a contender as a penalty killer with speed at left wing and a proven performer in the spring. Hagelin has played 121 playoff games, with 22 goals and 25 assists.

“I’ve played a lot of playoff hockey in my career,” he said. “I usually play my best hockey in the second half of the year. That’s just how it is. [But] I like it a lot here. Great guys on the team and we just need to get some wins.”

If the Kings move Hagelin, it would happen just as the 30-year-old has found some identity with Adrian Kempe and Ilya Kovalchuk. They combined for six goals and seven assists on the just-completed six-game stint away from home.

“It’s easy for me to play with him, especially since he creates a lot of chances for me, and me for him as well,” Kempe said.

Hagelin wouldn’t mind seeing where that chemistry goes. It’s understandable if he’s wary of another career move. He has a baby daughter, and the family took a trip to Palm Springs during the bye week. It was the type of local outing that Hagelin didn’t really have time for during his half-season with the Ducks.

Hagelin is realistic, though, and it got his attention when teammate and fellow free-agent-to-be Nate Thompson was traded Monday.

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“This situation, more than any other, I know I’m a UFA,” Hagelin said. “I know we’re on a team where guys have already been traded. I think all the other times, I haven’t really been aware of the fact that I’m going to get traded. Here, you never know. We need to start winning, and that’s the bottom line. I definitely don’t look into it too much, because I know if it happens, it happens.”

Etc.

Coach Willie Desjardins indicated he might tinker with the top two lines after some different looks in drills.

“We’re looking at some different things today,” Desjardins said. “Lots of units have played well, and sometimes you just try different things. You want to see what a different combination will [do]. Maybe it’ll spark guys.”

Jeff Carter (lower-body injury) practiced briefly and Desjardins said that “it was good that he was out [on the ice] as long as he was.”

The Beijing Jr. Kings skated with the Kings as part of their visit to Southern California. The affiliation began upon the Kings’ trip to China in 2017. It is the first youth development program run by the Kings outside Los Angeles.

UP NEXT

VS. VANCOUVER 1130625 Anaheim Ducks “He was calm and that’s what I like about him,” Murray said when asked what he liked most about Boyle’s play in goal. “He’s a quiet, calm guy. I love calm .”

Ducks end 7-game losing streak as goalie Kevin Boyle shuts out Murray tweaked his lineup before the game. He recalled forward Max Canucks Jones from San Diego of the AHL and skated him with Kesler and Carter Rowney on an effective line that set the tone early with an aggressive forecheck. Murray also sent defenseman Korbinian Holzer to San Diego. By ELLIOTT TEAFORD “We’ve got to forecheck,” Murray said. “We can’t be receiving the game all the time, and we’ve been receiving the game far too much. … They hadn’t won in a long time. They were griping it a little tight. They got ANAHEIM — There was a 64-year-old rookie coach behind the bench. better as it went along. I thought the Kesler line really, really helped us.” There was a 26-year-old goaltender making his first NHL start. There was an early goal and the first lead in weeks. There was not one but two "I honestly don't have any words.. this is incredible."#LetsGoDucks | fights, with a couple of 30-somethings throwing hands. @AnaheimDucks | @Boyle33 pic.twitter.com/Haq6qiMiyH

The Ducks sure had a different look about them Wednesday at Honda — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 14, 2019 Center, with Bob Murray adding the coaching duties to his role as general manager after firing Randy Carlyle on Sunday and playing Kevin Simply incredible.#LetsGoDucks | @Boyle33 pic.twitter.com/1qzqD1AnLr Boyle in goal after placing John Gibson and Chad Johnson on injured — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 14, 2019 reserve. Bob Murray assesses his first game as head coach of the Murray asked for more from the Ducks than they had delivered in the @AnaheimDucks.#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/6XnzGlEuzY final days of Carlyle’s second stint as coach, and they delivered a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks that ended their seven-game losing — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 14, 2019 streak. The Ducks’ win was only their third in 22 games. .@jsilfverberg33 TAKES ADVANTAGE! @AnaheimDucks take the “As always, having been through this a bunch of times myself, there’s early lead!#LetsGoDucks | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/Jv40DTuE5n always a bit of a jolt of energy and emotion, which would be nice because there’s not been much emotion here,” Murray said before the — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 14, 2019 game when asked what he expected. “That would be nice if there was "Our compete level was very high… we did some good things tonight" some tonight.” Corey Perry talks about the 1-0 win & Kevin Boyle's Murray didn’t have to wait long. Jakob Silfverberg scored 6:30 into the performance!#LetsGoDucks | @AnaheimDucks game, converting on a pass from Devin Shore and giving the Ducks their pic.twitter.com/TDXWcEbk0K first lead since scoring first in what became a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 23. Silfverberg’s goal was his team-leading 13th. — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) February 14, 2019

Boyle made 35 saves in blanking the Canucks in his first start and Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.14.2019 second NHL appearance after his recall Friday from the of the AHL. He raised his hands overhead at the final horn, overcome by emotion after a calm, cool and collected performance.

“It’s something you dream of growing up as a little kid playing street hockey, so to be able to come out here and get a win in the first game, I can’t even describe it,” Boyle said. “Growing up, I definitely imagined what it would be like and it’s definitely exceeded everything I ever dreamed of.”

Boyle said he relaxed in the afternoon by playing video games, as is his custom, and then he became the second Ducks goalie to record a shutout in his first start. Gibson also blanked the Canucks in his NHL debut April 7, 2014.

The Ducks maintained their one-goal lead the two periods, the first time they’d led that deep into a game since they defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Jan. 19, which also happened to be their last victory. Seven lifeless defeats followed before Murray replaced Carlyle.

Ryan Kesler, 34 but apparently feeling more like 24, landed a big right hand to the face of the Canucks’ Josh Leivo only 1:25 after Silfverberg’s goal and suddenly a Honda Center sellout crowd of 17,174 was standing and roaring its approval after days, weeks and months of discontent.

Ryan Getzlaf, 33, then responded to a challenge in the early minutes of the second period when Vancouver’s Erik Gudbranson wanted him to answer for a collision that injured Canucks teammate Jake Virtanen at center ice. Getzlaf and Gudbranson scrapped for a few moments and then fell to the ice.

The Ducks failed to pad their lead in the second, but they didn’t give up the equalizer either.

Boyle came up with a big glove save on Leivo in the opening minutes of the third, deflecting his shot over the crossbar and out of harm’s way. The Canucks had their chances on a couple of power plays in the early minutes of the third, but couldn’t beat Boyle.

Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson did beat Boyle in the final period, but the rookie’s knuckling shot from the right wing struck the crossbar and ricocheted away. Pettersson, the NHL’s leading scorer among rookies with 51 points, was blanked for the first time in five games. 1130626 Anaheim Ducks Ultimately, Perry said it’s up to the players to salvage what they can from the season.

“There’s a lot of leaders in this dressing room,” he said. “There are a lot Ducks goaltender Kevin Boyle gets first NHL start, and makes most of it of guys who have been through a lot of things over the years. It’s a With John Gibson and Chad Johnson injured, the Ducks turn to the matter of getting back to basics. You can reach back and think about former San Diego Gulls goaltender those things. It’s all about work ethic. It’s all about those things.

“When you’re not getting results, it’s the players and next it’s the coach and you can go on from there. It wasn’t an easy day the other day. It’s By ELLIOTT TEAFORD tough. That’s on us in this dressing room. (Carlyle) took some of it. It’s hard because we have to go out and prove that we can do it in this

dressing room. ANAHEIM — It was a simple process of elimination. John Gibson’s back, “We can prove to Bob that it’s in here and we can do it.” neck and head were still causing him pain so he wasn’t an option. Chad Johnson’s head wasn’t right after he was struck by a puck twice. Ryan Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.14.2019 Miller’s knee was better, but not good enough for him to return to the lineup as a starting goaltender.

So, Bob Murray selected the healthiest goalie of the four he had available, and that’s how Kevin Boyle made his first NHL start and shut out the Vancouver Canucks 1-0 on Wednesday at Honda Center, after making his debut in a relief appearance of Johnson in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Miller served as Boyle’s backup on Wednesday. Gibson and Johnson were each placed on injured reserve with no timetable available for their returns to the lineup. Gibson was hurt when teammate Jaycob Megna ran into him last Thursday. Johnson took a shot off the mask Saturday and Tuesday.

“I thought he played well when he went in,” Murray said of Boyle hours before making his debut as the Ducks’ interim coach after firing Randy Carlyle on Sunday. “He’s done a great job the last few years. He saved the season a few years ago in San Diego and he’s been Dallas’ go-to guy.”

Murray referred to Dallas Eakins, coach of the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.

“He’s always been a bit of a slow starter even back in school, but once he gets rolling … he gets going, he’s pretty calm in there,” Murray said of Boyle, a 26-year-old who has spent three seasons with the Gulls after two seasons at UMass-Lowell after transferring from UMass-Amherst.

“Good test for him. It’ll be emotional for him, I’m sure.”

Boyle was 19-7-1 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage in 30 games with San Diego. At the time the Ducks recalled him Friday from the Gulls, he was second in the AHL in victories and also had won 14 of his past 17 starts.

“He’s earned it,” Murray said of starting Boyle against Vancouver. “He’s worked hard.”

Boyle made 24 saves in his debut Saturday against the Flyers, when Johnson took a shot off the mask and was pulled from the game after giving up four goals in the first period. Johnson started in place of Gibson, who was pulled from last Thursday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Megna flattened Gibson while retreating to defend against the Senators’ Matt Duchene, who scored on a partial breakaway. Gibson played the final two minutes of the second period, but then yielded to Johnson to start the third period of a 4-0 loss.

“He’s just not right anywhere,” Murray said of Gibson. “Chad got one off the mask in the Philly game and then he got a good one (Tuesday in practice) again. He called us in the afternoon and couldn’t sleep. He had a headache, so we’re putting him on IR.”

DUCKS REDUX?

Right wing Corey Perry noticed a few minor tweaks to the Ducks’ game plan, starting in their own zone, during the first two practices under Murray on Sunday and Tuesday. There also was a new level of communication between Murray, his assistant coaches and the players.

“We made a few adjustments,” Perry said. “We’ve had two days of practice where there’s a lot of stopping and teaching and communication. Those are all positive things, but it’s still hockey. You’ve still got to read. You’ve still got to play. You’ve still got to do the right things.” 1130627 Arizona Coyotes Galchenyuk might be trailing Keller by seven points in the season totals, but the two have actually produced at almost the exact same pace this season. Keller still has a slight lead with 0.67 points per game, but Alex Galchenyuk getting hot at the right time for the Arizona Coyotes Galchenyuk is right on his heels at 0.65.

For added context, what seemed like a monumental lead in production for Domi over Galchenyuk since the trade has been cut down to size. Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Entering play Wednesday, Domi was avering 0.87 points per game, a marginal lead over Galchenyuk.

Not only has Galchenyuk closed the gap on his counterpart (Domi) and Alex Galchenyuk has been a lightning rod for criticism this season. As a begun silencing posthumous trade critics, but he’s a chief reason why the former 30-goal scorer, expectations were high — and when Galchenyuk Coyotes have stuck around in a crowded playoff race despite an obscene wasn’t producing, the hate started coming. amount of injuries this season. After a brief flash in the preseason, Galchenyuk was quickly sidelined Game-time decisions with a knee injury and didn’t make his season debut until Oct. 23. Max Domi, the player for whom Galchenyuk was traded, had already Centers Brad Richardson (hand) and Mario Kempe (upper body) will both registered six points in seven games by that time. be game-time decisions on Thursday against the Blues, Tocchet told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. The comparisons between Galchenyuk and Domi never stopped. By Nov. 21, Domi had amassed 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in just 22 Kempe missed Tuesday’s game in Las Vegas after suffering an upper- games with the Montreal Canadiens while Galchenyuk had managed just body injury on Saturday against the Stars. He is currently listed as day- nine points (three goals, six assists) in 13 games in Arizona. to-day.

Domi seemed to be flourishing under the bright lights of Montreal while Richardson, however, has been out since Jan. 10 since he fractured a Galchenyuk was staggering in the small-market of Arizona. But the tables bone in his hand. Richardson traveled with the Coyotes to Las Vegas may be turning for Galchenyuk, and it’s happening at just the right time and was a full participant during the team’s practice Wednesday. for the Coyotes. Up next With four goals in his past five games, Galchenyuk is riding his hottest streak of the season. By registering his 12th goal of the season on Coyotes vs. Blues, 7 p.m., Gila River Arena, (FSAZ/KMVP-FM 98.7 FM) Tuesday in a 5-2 win at Vegas, Galchenyuk captured the team lead in — Winners of two straight, the Coyotes (25-26-5) continue a stretch of 10 goals — and on his 25th birthday, no less. consecutive games against teams currently in playoff position when they host the St. Louis Blues (28-22-5) on Thursday. His play has been noticeably different in recent games. At times this season, Galchenyuk has seemed hesitant to shoot the puck or unwilling Arizona Republic LOADED: 02.14.2019 to get creative in the offensive zone, but the skilled forward has shaken that off.

The Coyotes are in a situation where a single loss could cripple their chances of a playoff berth in a crowded Western Conference wild-card race. They entered play Wednesday just four points out of the playoffs — and with nearly every team in the conference still alive in the standings, too.

Since before the All-Star break, the Coyotes have been mired in a 10- game stretch against opponents in playoff position. They lost four of the first five but have now won the past two. Three more games remain until the gauntlet is over, with the next coming on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues.

Galchenyuk has been crucial over this stretch, especially as the Coyotes’ opponents have come with added playoff implications.

One identifiable difference in Galchenyuk’s game has been his aggressiveness and confidence, the latter of which seems to be growing with each strong performance. Galchenyuk’s goal on Tuesday was a prime example of the forward using his size, speed and strength to power his way to the net on a breakaway attempt.

We knew @AGally94 was going to score on his birthday but we didn't want to jinx it so we didn't tell you. pic.twitter.com/wtPq0HUpny

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) February 13, 2019

Galchenyuk is feeling it right now, and head coach Rick Tocchet has noticed. Midway through the Coyotes’ last home game Saturday against Dallas, Tocchet moved Galchenyuk up to play with winger and center Nick Cousins. The trio has been extremely effective since being put together.

All three have also been power-play partners of late, and their chemistry has been palpable there as well. Teams have keyed on Keller more this season, which makes Galchenyuk all the more invaluable as the Coyotes face increasingly tougher challenges this season.

“You need those plays against those types of teams,” Tocchet told reporters after Tuesday's game. “You need a breakaway goal, you need a power-play goal.”

The Coyotes aren’t exactly a high-output offensive team, but Galchenyuk has quietly been the team’s second-most productive player this season with 30 points in 46 games. 1130628 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes president, CEO Cohen offers latest update on potential sale, arena

BY KELLAN OLSON

Arizona Coyotes CEO Ahron Cohen joins The Doug & Wolf Show for an interview on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Feb. 13, 2019. (Arizona Sports/Matt Layman)

Arizona Coyotes president & CEO Ahron Cohen joined 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Newsmakers Week to update fans on the latest surrounding a potential sale of the team.

“There’s been so much stuff out there, rumors and unsubstantiated stories — the reality is our owner Andy Barroway is the sole owner, the 100 percent owner and he doesn’t want to be the sole owner any longer,” Cohen told 98.7 FM’s Doug & Wolf Wednesday. “Now, what form that takes, whether it’s a full sale, whether it’s a partnership, whether it’s an LP stake — I think that’s all to be determined.”

Cohen did not have anything else to note on the news, clarifying there is no set date on the transition occurring.

“And there’s no timetable or timeline or anything like that,” he said. “I think the one thing that’s absolute is anything that we’re looking to do — it’s predicated on us bringing in somebody that’s going to help us be successful here in Arizona for the long term.”

Barroway bought out the rest of the group of owners in June of 2017, with the Coyotes being owned at that time by IceArizona. Barroway has been the majority owner of the Coyotes since 2014.

Cohen noted the focus still hasn’t changed on keeping the Coyotes in the Valley.

“Absolutely, that’s all we’re focused on,” he said. “We love this community, this is a great place, great hockey market and we’re looking at different things for us to be successful here.”

As far as a new home in the form of a new arena, there is significant progress left to be done.

“I don’t think it’s very productive to talk about those things until you really know what the answer is,” Cohen said when asked of a potential new arena.

“Look, we’re trying to figure out a long-term sustainable solution here in Arizona. One element of that is what the arena situation looks like but there’s a lot of other elements. We could put this arena in the perfect location in town (but) if you don’t have some of these other things working for your franchise you’re not going to be successful.

“Those are our three core goals with our team. Is building a competitive hockey team, is building fandom throughout this community and it’s positively impacting this community so that’s really what we’re talking about these days and that’s where our focus is.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130629 Arizona Coyotes

Tocchet: Kuemper still adjusting to role of Coyotes’ lead goaltender

BY DANNY SHAPIRO

Darcy Kuemper has done an admirable job filling in for Arizona Coyotes starting goaltender Antti Raanta this season.

His 2.73 goals against average and 13 wins are reasons why the Coyotes are just four points behind a playoff spot with 25 games to go.

Kuemper, however, has never been in the position of main stopper in his eight-year NHL career.

The next game he plays for the Coyotes this season — likely Thursday against the St. Louis Blues — will be the most he has played in a single season for his career.

Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet told Burns and Gambo he doesn’t know far he will be able to ride the 28-year-old because of that and plans to give him ample rest to keep him fresh down the stretch.

“[Kuemper] has never really been the starting goalie but because Raanta is out, this is his first time playing that role,” Tocchet said Wednesday on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “He has some issues and we need to make sure we are giving his some rest for him to get healthy.”

In addition to his lack of a heavy season-long workload, Kuemper has faced his own injury issues this season.

He was placed on the injured reserve in late November and missed two weeks with a lower body injury.

When Kuemper can’t go, the Coyotes do have a solid backup plan.

Calvin Pickard has been solid in his two appearances and Adin Hill has a 2.76 goals against average in 13 games this season.

“The playoffs start now for us, let’s face it,” Tocchet said. “We do a good job of just looking at the next game but we have a five-game stretch coming up with four division games.”

Injury Updates

Tocchet said that several Coyotes were progressing well in their return from injuries.

Center Brad Richardson (upper body) “will probably play” against the Blues, according to Tocchet.

Richardson was the Coyotes’ leading goal scorer before going on the injured reserve in early January.

Center Christian Dvorak, who is on the mend from a torn pectoral, likely will start a rehab trip with the Tucson Roadrunners soon before rejoining the Coyotes, per Tocchet.

Tocchet added that defenseman Jason Demers (lower body) is “probably another three weeks away” from returning.

“We are starting to get some traction [on the injury front],” Tocchet said. “There are guys on the horizon who can bolster our team. It’s almost like the trade deadline or something.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130630 Boston Bruins An added encouraging sign on offense Tuesday was how well David Krejci, who typically commandeers the No. 2 power-play unit, moved into Pastrnak’s shooter’s role on the No. 1 unit. Looking much like his fellow Bruins should be fine without David Pastrnak — until the playoffs Czech parked in the left circle, he stepped into a sublime Patrice Bergeron feed across the slot and hammered in the 1-1 equalizer late in the first.

By Kevin Paul Dupont “We know Krech can shoot it from over there,” said Cassidy. “He’s also going to make a few more passes from there, so you might see a little

different look than a lot of shots. David Pastrnak’s left hand is in a cast, and therefore the Bruins offense is “But that was the appropriate play. Bergy did a nice job. He’s done that in a pickle. with Pasta a lot, where he kind of freezes everybody and hits the seam Or so it seemed Tuesday morning, in the moments following word that [with the pass]. Pastrnak, their top goal scorer, would need a bare minimum of two “I don’t want to say there’s not going to be a dropoff because I don’t know weeks to calculate the damage done in his costly slip-and-fall while what’s going to happen. But Krech is an experienced guy in this league returning from a team function with the boys Sunday night. and has run lots of power plays, and that’s his spot. After an impressive 6-3 win Tuesday night over Chicago, perhaps it’s “The reason he is not on the first unit probably comes down to that, that best to hold the pickle. Maybe things aren’t really all that bad. Even if he and Pasta are in the same spot and eventually it would look silly if coach Bruce Cassidy is fully aware his offense will be stressed with his they were standing beside each other on the power play.” best shooter (31 goals) now silenced for the foreseeable future. Cassidy presented that image in jest. Just as there is only one puck, only “Listen, we’re going to need it,” noted Cassidy, aware that he’ll be looking one player can shoot it at any given moment. For the time being, it just for scoring punch across the board from now through the playoffs. means Pastrnak won’t be the chosen shooter on duty. “We’ve talked about that a lot. We’re going to need it from certain guys.” The Bruins, with 32 wins, have 25 games remaining in the regular No fewer than five different goal scorers — including struggling season, and will face 17 different opponents. Only four have more wins: sophomores Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk — knocked home goals Tampa Bay (42), Winnipeg (36), San Jose (34), and the Islanders (33). in the win over the Blackhawks (seven straight wins upon arrival on The other 13 teams average 25.4 wins. Causeway Street). The Bruins have had that kind of scoring diversity in only five of their 57 games to date. It should be easy from here, even without Pastrnak. Come playoff time, like every year, a whole different story. The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Boston Globe LOADED: 02.14.2019 Heinen, who added a pair of silken assists vs. Chicago, now has goals in three of his last four games and is 3-3—6 in that stretch. He’s looking a lot more like the kid who posted 47 points last season, good for fifth in team scoring.

DeBrusk, now with 15 pots, hadn’t scored since Jan. 8. Despite his woes, he needs only one more strike to equal his 16 goals of last season.

“It gets to your head, naturally,” said a frustrated DeBrusk. “You just try not to overcomplicate your game, but at the same time you do want to force things — you want to force more shots, try to get more chances.

“The one thing most frustrating for me of late was that I really wasn’t getting chances.”

As for the overall need for everyone to put the puck in the net, the Bruins have scored at least five goals in two of their last three games, and one of those did not include the sharpshooting Pastrnak.

Truth is, this is a club that can win its fair share, and breeze to the playoffs, without No. 88 as its No. 1 health provider.

Now, getting through a playoff round against, say, the Maple Leafs or Lightning (their opponents last spring) without Pastrnak? Don’t bet on it. He went 6-14—20 in 12 games against those two clubs a year ago, and the Bruins went packing after Round 2. They’ll need him in April. Big time. But they can score enough, and win enough, in the meantime.

Keep in mind how the Bruins were scoring even with Pastrnak in full flight. In the 15 games prior to his exit, they scored more than three goals in only three. In those 12 games with fewer than four goals, they were still above water (5-3-4). For the record, the Bruins were 1-1-3 in five of those 12 low-scoring games in which Pastrnak scored, and 4-2-1 when he did not.

They’ve proven they can win tight games without his assistance.

“Doesn’t [help] when your best goal scorer goes down, obviously,” said goalie Tuukka Rask, the winner Tuesday and now 10-0-2 since his last regulation loss Dec. 23. “But I think we feel pretty confident in our depth.

“Guys have shown they are capable of scoring. It’s just a matter of finding that confidence level. Great to see Heino and Jake get some goals and make some good plays. And six goals . . . good for a goalie.”

Of the eight Eastern Conference teams in playoff positions Wednesday morning, only the Islanders (136) had allowed fewer goals than the Bruins (148). Among the eight Western seeds, only the Stars (140) were stingier. Rask is hot. The defense is in full working order. No reason to think the defensive approach will change with Pastrnak hors de combat. 1130631 Boston Bruins

Bruins recall forward Karson Kuhlman from Providence

By Kevin Paul Dupont

Tenacious around the puck in the Bruins rookie camp last September, Karson Kuhlman was called up from AHL Providence on Wednesday and was on a plane headed west for a five-game road trip that begins Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Kuhlman, who won an NCAA title with University Minnesota-Duluth last spring, ranked fourth among current WannaBs in scoring (12-13—25 in 50 games).

Kuhlman is a right-shot center capable of playing the wing, and comes aboard the varsity only 24 hours after the Bruins announced that top goal scorer David Pastrnak will be sidelined for at least two weeks after surgery to repair a tendon in his left thumb.

“A dog on a bone,” was how Bruins general manager Don Sweeney portrayed Kuhlman’s puck-hunting in rookie camp.

Kuhlman, 23, signed with Boston as a free agent last spring, a two-year deal guaranteeing him a minimum $315,000 over two years, according to capfriendly.com. His pay at the NHL level: $750,000 per season.

The Bruins will include Kuhlman in his first varsity practice early on Thursday afternoon. He is aboard as an extra forward, but it would not be a surprise to see him make his NHL debut either Friday or Saturday (vs. the Kings), given the club is playing on back-to-back nights.

Coach Bruce Cassidy lately has opted not to suit up veteran winger David Backes (5-8—13) in both games of a back-to-back set. If Kuhlman were to slot into the third line at right wing, he would ride with Joakim Nordstrom (LW) on a trio pivoted by ex-Providence teammate Trent Frederic.

Kuhlman was never a prolific college scorer, but he averaged roughly 10 goals and 20 points in his four seasons with the Bulldogs. He played three seasons for USHL Dubuque prior to entering college as a freshman in 2014.

Hot streak

The Bruins are 5-0-3 in their last eight games and have not lost in regulation since Jan. 19, to the Rangers on Causeway Street. With 32 wins and 25 games to go, they still have a chance to reach 50 wins for a second straight season under Cassidy. They never posted consecutive 50-win seasons during Claude Julien’s time behind the bench . . . Brad Marchand’s 1-3—4 vs. Chicago Tuesday night equaled his one-game point high for the season (0-4—4 vs. Buffalo on Oct. 4). He has three or more assists in five games this season. He’ll carry a five-game scoring streak of 3-9—12 into Friday night’s matchup with the Ducks . . . Patrice Bergeron is also working on a five-game scoring streak (4-5—9) . . . Cassidy did not announce his goaltending plans, but it’s likely Rask and Jaroslav Halak each get a start over the next two (Anaheim and Los Angeles). Depending on performance, Rask then might get the starts vs. San Jose, Vegas, and St. Louis . . . If Kuhlman makes his NHL debut on the trip, he’ll be the 19th forward to suit up for the Bruins this season. He would become the 15th former NCAA player to crack the lineup.

Boston Globe LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130632 Boston Bruins In less than two weeks, we’ll find out what, if anything, GM Don Sweeney adds to the mix before the Feb. 25 trade deadline. DeBrusk will be glad when the deadline’s come and gone.

Bruins gear up for long road trip “I’m confident with what we have in here to be honest with you,” said DeBrusk in the glow of the win over Chicago. “Obviously there’s lots of talk, lots of rumors, we all see it, especially us younger guys on social By STEVE CONROY media. We’re kind of tuned into that. We see lots of different things, especially with Pasta being out, there’s more of an emphasis you could

probably say. Honestly, we’re trying to take it game-by-game. That’s my Over the past two weeks, the Bruins have run off an eight-game point mindset because you never knew what can happen. You never know if streak (5-0-3) and solidified their standing as playoff team with an eight- you’re part of the deal or someone is, or if there even is a deal. Obviously point bulge over the closest non-playoff qualifier (Carolina). management will do whatever is best for the team. It will be exciting after the road trip coming home. It’s almost two weeks we’re going to be away Now we’ll see what they’re really made of. and then we come back. I remember after last year’s trade deadline. It was kind of a cool moment after (the deadline), we were in the room and The B’s embark on a five-game that begins on Friday in it was like ‘This is who were going to war with.’ We feel the same way Anaheim and moves to Los Angeles on Saturday. Then things get really right now in here, don’t get me wrong, but things will get a little more challenging. They face the Pacific Division-leading Sharks on Monday, intense.” … the ever-tough Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Wednesday and they finish up with the scorching hot St. Louis Blues a week from Saturday. The B’s recalled forward Karson Kuhlman for the road trip. Kuhlman has 12-13-25 totals and is plus-22 in 50 games for Providence. And it’s not like the B’s have been road warriors this season. They’re a mediocre 11-10-5 away from Causeway Street. In the last month, they’ve Boston Herald LOADED: 02.14.2019 have big wins in Toronto and Washington, but they’ve also blown two- goal leads in New York and Philadelphia, losing both those games in extra time.

While Anaheim and Los Angeles are both well outside the playoff structure, Anaheim (a league low minus-55 in goal differential) just changed its coach (from Randy Carlyle to GM Bob Murray) and you never know what kind of bump a team will get from that. And though the Kings have started to sell off pieces (Nate Thompson went to Montreal earlier this week), their heavy style gave the B’s problems in last Saturday’s game, a 5-4 overtime Bruins win in which the B’s spit up another two-goal lead.

The B’s, who would actually be in first place if they were in the Metropolitan Division, will be tackling this challenge without their most dynamic offensive weapon, David Pastrnak, currently out with a thumb injury courtesy of a late night stumble. The B’s responded well in their first game without Pastrnak, putting up half a dozen goals against a Blackhawks team that was an utter mess in its own zone. Don’t expect things to be so easy on this trip.

“We’re just trying to find some consistency in our game,” Jake DeBrusk Tuesday night after the win over Chicago. “Obviously third periods have been a focus for our team. I remember last year we were always down going into the third periods and we’d always come back. This year, it’s not necessarily the other way around, but sometimes we’ll be up and then it gets a little scrambly. So on the road, it will be a big test, some good teams and some big, heavy teams. It’s about staying consistent in our game and improving what we do. I don’t think we’ll score six every night but I think if we play and have the mindset like we did (on Tuesday), we’ll get more looks. And that’s how we have to play, especially with Pasta being out. When you lose someone like that at this time of the year, it has to be a group effort, for sure.”

While the Pastrnak injury will be tough to overcome for an offense- challenged team like the B’s, the best sign of the season has emerged during their current points streak. Some of their second-year players, dormant for most of the season, have showed signs of real life.

Danton Heinen appeared to be in the midst of a lost season when he got bumped up to the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in coach Bruce Cassidy’s effort to balance the scoring. He has seized the opportunity. In three-plus games in the penthouse, he’s got 3-3-6 and is plus-6.

Charlie McAvoy, dogged by a couple of longterm injuries, is back to being an impact player. His back-to-back performances over the weekend were a reminder of the elite level defenseman that he could one day be.

And DeBrusk himself snapped a skid. He’d gotten off to good start this year and had appeared to have avoided the sophomore slump that afflicted others. But he’d gone 13 games with just two assists before chipping home a pass from David Krejci in the second period, his 15th goal of the season that turned out to be the game-winner over Chicago. 1130633 Boston Bruins

Bruins call up Karson Kuhlman in possible third line center audition

By Joe Haggerty February 13, 2019

After losing David Pastrnak for at least the next couple of weeks, the Bruins knew they’d be taking along an extra forward prior to leaving for the West Coast for the bulk of the next two weeks. The Bruins announced on Wednesday that it would be former University of Minnesota-Duluth captain Karson Kuhlman in his first official NHL call-up to Boston after signing a two-year entry level deal in the offseason.

The 23-year-old center has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points with a plus-22 rating in 50 games during his first pro hockey season after wrapping up his collegiate career, and could enter into the mix for the third line along with fellow rookie Trent Frederic. Kuhlman has nine goals in his last 20 games for the P-Bruins and has really begun to soar at the AHL level with his strong two-way play and intelligent approach after adjusting from college hockey over the first half of the season.

Frederic made a big splash getting into a fight in his NHL debut a couple of weeks ago, but the 21-year-old has zero points in seven games along with a minus-1 rating while averaging just 8:48 of ice time per game.

It’s all part of the rotating carousel of third line centers the Bruins have tried this season including Frederic, David Backes, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Sean Kuraly, Gemel Smith and Colby Cave among others. None of them have really taken hold of the job vacated by Riley Nash when he departed in free agency last season, and perhaps now Kuhlman will get his shot after playing a strong, detail-oriented game in Providence.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130634 Boston Bruins Then there was DeBrusk snapping a cold streak that had lasted more than a month and had seen him demoted to the third line for a period of time. The 22-year-old winger was back with Krejci and Peter Cehlarik For at least one night, Bruins show there is life without David Pastrnak against the Blackhawks, however, after the loss of Pastrnak to injury, and DeBrusk stepped up and scored the game-winner in the second period. He camped down low similar to Heinen for his offensive chances, and redirected a pass down low from Krejci just as a Bruins power play By Joe Haggerty February 13, 2019 possession expired.

Heinen and DeBrusk are the two biggest examples of young players that BOSTON – One game into life without David Pastrnak for the can and should step up with Pastrnak gone for at least the next few foreseeable future, things were pretty okay with the Bruins. weeks, and that first game gave some hope that they might actually be able to do it semi-consistently. Certainly it’s nothing to get carried away with because it’s just a one- game example, and because they were playing one of the worst teams in “It’s just a matter of me actually going out there and scoring,” said the league in the down-on-their-luck . But the Hawks DeBrusk. “I was just missing that feeling a lot, so it was just nice to see it had also won seven games in a row leading into Tuesday night’s game at go in and obviously see Krejci get two goals tonight and Heinen get on TD Garden and the Bruins outgunned them in a 6-3 win where the Bruins the board as well. It’s all good signs, especially with Pasta out right now. took over the game after Chicago had scratched out the first goal. Hopefully, we can just keep it going.”

Best of all were the players that stepped up, with Danton Heinen It remains to be seen how often the Bruins will be able to function as they exploding for three points in his best game of the season, Jake DeBrusk did against the Blackhawks with desperate teams scrapping for points snapping out of a 13-game goal-scoring drought with a second period across the league. But the response from the Bruins in their first game game-winning strike and David Krejci making plays while stepping into without Pastrnak was strong and unmistakable, and a sign that they are Pastrnak’s spot on the top power-play unit. once again ready to steer through the adversity they navigated so expertly in the first half of the season. That’s not to mention Brad Marchand perfectly executing backhand passes between his legs to wide open players for goals in the third period Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 at a point when the mustard could have definitely been off the hot dog.

There will be plenty of nights when it won’t be that easy for the Black and Gold without a guy that was on a pace for almost 50 goals and 100 points, and it remains to be seen just how long it’s going to take Pastrnak to come back from a tendon injury in his left thumb that required surgery. But on this first night without him, the Bruins looked like they might be able to cobble enough together to stay right where they are until their game-breaking scorer returns from his off-ice injury.

“We’re going to need contributions from everybody with Pasta going down there for a bit. Heinen was unreal tonight, made a lot of big plays; Jake was very clutch tonight as well, so great games by them,” said Brad Marchand. “It’s fun to see them play like that and add some much depth to our group. Heinen has been great the last little bit, so we need that to continue.

“It’s nice to win games like [we did on Tuesday]. You know, it doesn’t happen often and it hasn’t been the way we’ve been winning, but you know, you have to be able to win games like that. It’s nice to win them like that. It was a fun one.”

The challenge for the B’s obviously will be to consistently replace a player that was in on over 40 percent of Boston’s offense, was the top power play scorer in the entire NHL and was the one driving the engine for a team that’s struggled to score even strength all season. The hope is that the Bruins have found one of the answers in Heinen, who has been dynamite since being teamed with Patrice Bergeron and Marchand on Boston’s top line.

Heinen now has three goals, six points and a plus-6 rating in his last four games since being elevated to the top line, and was constantly around the net making plays against the Blackhawks after being missing offensively for much of this season.

PASTRNAK'S OUT -- NOW WHAT?

Stunning blow, Pasta out indefinitely

Does this alter trade deadline plan?

“It wasn’t like he was just cruising around out there, and he was the benefactor. I think he understands that he’s been given a nice opportunity here, and he’s going to the dirty areas for that line, getting rewarded and making plays around there. You go there enough, especially with those guys, the puck will end up there, so good for him,” said Bruce Cassidy. “I’m happy for him. He’s a good kid, he works hard, he’s a pro, he’s accountable away from the puck and he’s willing to block shots when need be.

“This is part of the game that’s more enjoyable. It’s fun to score. I’m sure he’d be the first to tell you that and make plays, so he’s getting that part of it down now. We’re going to need it from certain players and we got it tonight.” 1130635 Buffalo Sabres unfiltered comments. When the two first met, Ullmark jokingly brought up how Wilcox struggled against Rochester in recent years.

"I loved playing with him," Wilcox said of Ullmark. "He's a great goalie Linus Ullmark: Meet the man behind the Minions mask, quirks and all partner to have off the ice. Whether he has allowed seven goals or has a shutout, he's always the same. He'll talk to anyone, and he's always in a good mood. Obviously, he's a goofball, but he's also a super nice guy. By Lance Lysowski |Published Wed, Feb 13, 2019 Linus will do anything for anyone."

His endearing personality can help brighten spirits during the rigorous regular season, Ullmark's teammates said. It's not a comedic act, either. A young boy pressed the paper sign against the glass adjacent to the He and his wife, Moa, each wore one of his goalie helmets during a Buffalo Sabres’ bench inside KeyBank Center to catch Linus Ullmark’s picture on their wedding day. attention as the 25-year-old goalie skated off the ice at the end of a pregame warmup. Just to clarify things. We didn't wear my masks during our ceremony. We used them afterwards 4 our wedding pictures. https://t.co/LD9STBpoAl On the sign, underneath a header that read “Life goals,” the boy listed two items: the Sabres' winning a Stanley Cup and receiving a stick from — Linus Ullmark (@Icebeardude) June 17, 2017 Ullmark. The affable, eccentric fan favorite skated over and gently flung his Bauer paddle over the pane of glass. Even the most relaxed goalies can fall into the habit of becoming too serious. Ullmark learned that through difficult times. A sixth-round draft "He's a really good kid," said , 33, of his fellow goaltender. pick of the Sabres in 2012, he went a combined 36-43-2 in his first two "Really sincere." seasons with the Amerks. His final two seasons in the didn't go as planned, either. The child beamed as he hoisted the treasure as if he had won the Stanley Cup. Ullmark’s gesture was seen by the thousands waiting for Ullmark had a .931 save percentage in 31 games for Modo in 2013-14, the puck drop of a game against Chicago. Ullmark, however, does not only to post a 12-20 record the following season. He was an All-Star last seek recognition for such kindness, nor did the act surprise his season for Rochester, helping the Amerks snap a three-year postseason teammates. drought.

On the ice, Ullmark can be perceived by opponents as ultra-serious – he Through the Amerks' run, Ullmark cracked jokes during the team's was not afraid to tell Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn to be quiet during a pregame soccer match and randomly gave teammates shoulder 1-0 loss Jan. 30 – but he is beloved by teammates for his quirks, quips massages. and genuine kindness. However, on the eve of the playoffs in April, he received Ullmark, the Sabres' starter in eight of the past 12 games, is active in two news that his grandmother, Ruth, had died. That is when Ullmark learned charitable causes: Ullmark's Barks, which, in conjunction with the SPCA it's OK not to hide behind a smile. He discussed his options with Amerks in Erie County, has helped six dogs find owners in two months, and coach Chris Taylor: return home to Sweden or remain with the team. AjaBajaCancer, a foundation in Sweden that helps families affected by childhood cancer. In the end, Ullmark stayed, and he blamed himself for the result after allowing 16 goals in a three-game sweep against Syracuse. "I would say I'm quirky, unique," Ullmark said, unabashedly, in KeyBank Center following practice last week. "I would rather be unique than "Obviously, that was a tough situation at that point," Taylor recalled. "You normal. That’s how I see it. I don’t have any issues with me being me and respect the hell out of a guy who does that. His character has never been people seeing me as quirky or fun or whatever they say. I try to be me in question with me. I know him as a guy in the room that all he cares every day, every week. Try to enjoy life as much as possible." about is wherever he puts that sweater on he’s for that team. That’s the way he played for us last year." Those personality traits are on powerful display during Ullmark's postgame comments to reporters. He never seems interested in Ullmark's personal loss was not revealed until the Sabres released a delivering the soundbite they desire, nor does he want to be drawn into a video this season in which he spoke of the playoff defeat. Rather than discussion about the meaning of wins or losses. Though his strategy can suppressing his sadness, Ullmark said, he wishes now that he had be maddening – "I didn't hide the cookies well enough" is among his best expressed his emotions and made more time for family. He realized the work – his interactions with fans and teammates reveal more about the value of such introspection last offseason, he said, when former Sabres man behind the mask. teammate Robin Lehner spoke publicly about seeking counseling for mental health and addiction. Lehner is having a breakout season with the Ullmark is hyper-focused when preparing for games and he holds himself New York Islanders. to an elite standard, admittedly to a fault at times. But he also can come off as carefree, preferring to savor the moment rather than looking ahead "You want to use hockey as a sanctuary, so you come here and don’t or dwelling on the past. think about that stuff," Ullmark said. "But if it starts affecting your game, you should really start talking about it. I don’t know how many guys in this As a child in Sweden, Ullmark used to arrive home from hockey practice league that keep things to themselves that might be good to talk about. to his mother asking when his team was holding another on-ice session I’m very happy about Robin that he’s talked about his struggles; he took at the rink. He rarely knew the answer, telling his mom to ask the coach. care of himself and he’s playing tremendously now. He’s in a good place. Ullmark was never worried about such details. You see whenever there’s a person who might be struggling, they might be struggling in their life. They might be doing all the right stuff on the ice, Goalies have long been known for their eccentricities, but Hutton said but just because they’re struggling off the ice, there might be that there's more than one way to approach what is arguably the sport's most tension." pressure-packed position. Ullmark, the father of an 11-month-old boy, is happy again and has "He’s quirky, more like your old-school goalies," Hutton said. "He has proven more than capable of playing in the NHL. Among Sabres goalies some odd things that he does. He’s just kind of a goofball and, all in all, a through their first 50 starts with the team, Ullmark's .914 save percentage good person. ... He’s not your typical hockey player, in the sense that ranks first in franchise history. most of these younger guys run around for a while and they’re a little more reckless. He’s a family man, an all-around good kid." During his time in Rochester, Ullmark used to bring his two corgis, Barry and Bob, to the rink to play with teammates – a welcome sight during the , the backup goalie for Rochester the past two seasons, always-tense days of minor leaguers – and always seemed to know how incorrectly expected Ullmark to be quiet when the two first crossed paths to make others feel better following a difficult game. in 2015. Wilcox, who faced the Amerks as a member of the Syracuse Crunch, did not learn until last season that Ullmark seems to always be That has continued in Buffalo. Ullmark hosted Sabres defenseman smiling and rarely stops talking. Casey Nelson for Thanksgiving and had six young fellow Swedish teammates to his home for tacos during training camp in September. During Ullmark's starts with the Amerks last season, he often would crack a joke during television timeouts and kept the mood light with his random, "He’s a great guy and always happy," said Rochester winger Victor Olofsson, a teammate of Ullmark's with Modo who attended Taco Friday. "Brings a smile to the rink every day. He likes to talk with everyone about everything. ... He tries to take care of everyone."

Ullmark has always had an interest in helping others and his arrival as a full-time NHL player finally gave him the avenue to make a difference. When the Sabres' community relations staff asked players to think of possible charitable causes to get involved with this season, Ullmark immediately thought of dogs.

When he wasn't chasing the family dogs as a child, Ullmark was "all up in the faces" of ones he encountered on the street. He also called his two corgis the "best companions" and wanted to help dogs who could not find a home. As part of Ullmark's Barks, Ullmark posts a picture of his latest "draft pick" available for adoption and expresses joy on Twitter when the SPCA serving Erie County posts a photo of the pet with its new owners.

Whether he is using his platforms to make a difference in the two places he calls home or eliciting laughs inside the Sabres' dressing room, the man whose expression is often hidden behind a Minions-emblazoned mask finds joy in watching others smile.

"It’s the satisfaction you get from seeing people smile," Ullmark said, beaming. "You know you made their day, week, month or year. It’s not about praise or anything like that. People might think it is, but it’s more about seeing the actual reaction from the person that you’re trying to help."

Buffalo News LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130636 Calgary Flames Whether it’s consequential that the Flames didn’t actually play all that badly during the post-bye-week losing skid last year actually lost four of the games in overtime is up to the reader.

Pragmatic Flames look to halt slide But it only makes sense that winning the Pacific Division is a priority for everyone in the locker room and Calgary sports fans. Why wouldn’t you want to avoid a first-round playoff series with the Vegas Golden Knights? Daniel Austin If they want to avoid that, they need to get back to winning games.

They need to tighten up defensively, get their producing and, SUNRISE, Fla. — Not good enough. according to Giordano, start getting back to a strong forechecking game that will help them grind through the moments when games aren’t going The Calgary Flames didn’t make any excuses. They owned their their way. mistakes while insisting there was no panic setting in. The Flames need to start focusing on the details, in other words. Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning was frustrating not only because they dropped points in the standings — again — but because “We been a pretty good team all year, we know we’re a good team,” said the performance itself was often ugly. Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic. “That was a frustrating game, it’s not the way we can play, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we Things you would expect a professional hockey team to pull-off without know we’re a good team. We trust the players we have in here now. We thinking, like line changes, proved harder than they should have been. know we can get the job done.” Goaltender David Rittich could only hope and pray on most of the Lightning’s goals, as the Flames gave their offensively gifted hosts in Calgary Sun: LOADED: 02.14.2019 Tampa multiple odd-man rushes and room to fire off point-blank one- timers in front of the net.

Do that against a team like the league-leading Lightning, and you’re going to lose. Do that against any NHL team, really, and you’re probably going to lose.

To their credit, the Flames acknowledged that after the loss. There were no canned quotes about squeezing sticks a little harder or sticking with a vaguely-defined process.

Instead, they were refreshingly honest in their assessments of their own play.

“Our details were nowhere near where they needed to be,” Giordano said. “I feel like we’ve let that slip in the last few. We’ll be ready Thursday (against the Florida Panthers), we’ll be a way more focused group and we have to really pull out of this.

“We feel like we’re sliding. We haven’t been getting the points we were usually getting at the start of the year and we have to stop it right now.”

That’s a telling quote from the Flames captain. In their recent losses to the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks, it was easy to wonder how the results might have gone differently if the Flames had a few bounces go their way.

On Tuesday night, the Flames simply acknowledged something was wrong and they need to fix it. They don’t believe it’s anything major. Instead, it’s just a commitment to focusing on the details.

“We haven’t been as good with the details of the game since probably the all-star game,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters.

Sean Monahan elaborated.

“At this time of the year, it’s the details of the game, the small areas of the game and playing your role and doing it effectively,” Monahan said. “(Those are) the areas that I think are slipping away right now.”

It is, of course, worth putting all of this in context slightly. The Flames’ season isn’t exactly about to go off a cliff here.

Sure, they’ve fallen out of first-place in the Pacific Division, but they still have a game-in-hand over the San Jose Sharks squad that’s passed them. That’s a pretty nice spot to find yourself in the middle of February, no question about it.

But Flames fans can be forgiven if they aren’t having a nightmarish case of deja-vu. Fair or not, memories of a similar tough stretch at this time of the year linger.

Last year, the Flames were riding high in early-January and on a seven- game winning streak, only to drop six-in-a-row after the all-star break.

The season never recovered, and the Flames ended up missing the playoffs.

There’s no real threat of that happening now, and the truth is that while the Flames have lost four of their last five games, they only really played poorly in one of them — Tuesday against the Lightning. 1130637 Calgary Flames Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Elias Lindholm

Matthew Tkachuk – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik

GameDay: Flames hope to stop the bleeding in Florida Sam Bennett – Mark Jankowski – James Neal

Andrew Mangiapane – Derek Ryan – Garnet Hathaway

Daniel Austin Defence

Mark Giordano – TJ Brodie

Calgary Flames (34-16-6) at Florida Panthers (23-24-8) Noah Hanifin – Travis Hamonic

5 p.m. MT, BB&T Center, TV: Sportsnet West Radio: Sportsnet Fan 960 Oliver Kylington – Rasmus Andersson

THE BIG MATCHUP Goaltenders

Panthers C Aleksander Barkov vs. Flames C Sean Monahan David Rittich

There weren’t many positives for the Flames against the Lightning on Mike Smith Tuesday night, but it could be argued that Monahan’s two goals made him something of a bright spot – he’s now got 65 points on the season, a PANTHERS LINEUP career high. Barkov, meanwhile, has been kept off the scoresheet for two Forwards games after a red-hot streak where he put up nine points in six games. The Flames have been allowing way too many goals recently, and Mike Hoffman – Aleksander Barkov – Evegenii Dadonov silencing the Panthers’ leading scorer would be a good start towards Jonathan Huberdeau – Vincent Trocheck – Frank Vatrano rectifying that. – Henrik Borgstrom – Denis Malgin FIVE THINGS TO WATCH Jamie McGinn – – Troy Brouwer STOP THE FREEFALL Defence The Flames have hit a rough patch. They’ve dropped points in four of their last five games and got badly outplayed by the Tampa Bay Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad Lightning on Tuesday night. They’ve allowed 21 goals over that stretch, so any improvements are going to need to start on the defensive end of Michael Matheson – Mark Pysyk the ice, while Mark Giordano also emphasized the need to focus on the Bogdan Kiselevich – Josh Brown forecheck. There have been good games and bad games on this recent losing skid, so it doesn’t feel like there’s one clear thing that’s ailing them. Goaltenders The Flames need a win, though. Roberto Luongo NO MAN’S LAND James Reimer With all due respect to the Panthers, when you look at the Eastern Conference standings, they’re just kind of sitting there and not doing a INJURIES whole lot of anything. With 54 points so far this season, they’re nowhere Flames: D Michael Stone (blood clot) near the playoff race, but they’re also a little ahead of dumpster fires like the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers definitely have moments where their Panthers: RW Colton Sceviour (upper body) youthful potential is intriguing, but inconsistency has plagued them and they’re coming off two lopsided losses to the Lightning and Stars. SPECIAL TEAMS

CHANGE IT UP Power Play

Flames head coach Bill Peters promised line changes after Tuesday’s Flames: 22.9% (46-for-201, 8th) loss. His team didn’t practice Wednesday, so it’s a little hard to know Panthers: 25.9% (50-for-193, 3rd) what those changes are going to look like, but we expect that the famed 3M line is going to be split up. Michael Frolik has put up one point in nine Penalty Kill games. Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t recorded a point in his last six, and Mikael Backlund has gone four. Defensively, they weren’t particularly Flames: 79.1% (21st) effective against the Lightning either, so it’s safe to assume they’ll be split Panthers: 81.0% (13th) up Thursday. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 02.14.2019 LAST TIME OUT

Despite their respective places in the standings, it was a really fun, competitive matchup last time these teams faced off. On Jan. 11 at the Saddledome, the Flames battled back from a two-goal deficit with four straight goals to take a thrilling 4-3 win. Frolik was the star that night, notching a goal and two assists.

STILL AT IT

Fans in Calgary don’t need any reminders that Mark Giordano is still chugging along and putting up big numbers, but his goal on Tuesday put him in good company. It was is 55th point of the season, making him the 10th defenceman age 35-or-older in NHL history to notch 55 points in a season. Nobody had done it since 2010-’11 when Niklas Lidstrom pulled it off, and Giordano also only needs one more point to match his single- season career high of 56, set in 2015-’16.

Here’s what coach Bill Peters had to say after Tuesday’s loss in Tampa:

FLAMES LINEUP

Forwards 1130638 Calgary Flames frank, it’s a nearly impossible place to reach. But Monahan is more than hanging on.

Operating with flankers Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm, he’s a ‘Modest and a joker:’ Sean Monahan’s childhood friends say nothing has first-liner on a contending squad, a bonafide star on the planet’s finest changed except his notoriety circuit.

Which creates another jarring sight for his friends. Not merely his By Scott Cruickshank Feb 13, 2019 presence on the ice — rather, Monahan’s place among the NHL’s perennial pace-setters. Thanks to his career-year pace, Monahan is nestled with household names such as Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin on the NHL stats sheet. If he happens to be on the road with the Toronto Rock, Phil Caputo knows he can rely on the NHL Network to keep him up to date. “It’s one thing to play in the NHL, but being an elite player?” Valenzuela said. “I think that’s more mind-blowing. It’s surreal. Looking at the point Michael Kussmann, after another day of substitute teaching in Brampton, leaders, Sean’s right up there. You see the other players who are there Ont., tunes into games at home in his living room, no matter how late. and it’s, ‘Holy shit. That’s insane.’ Seeing how well he’s doing, I’m just And if the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers aren’t on the ice, super happy. Gabe Valenzuela gathers with teammates and settles in front of the “I guess I am surprised because it’s so hard to do that. It’s just so hard to nearest television. be one of the best players pretty much in the world right now. I hope he Think you’re captivated by Sean Monahan’s game? continues.”

You’ve got nothing on these guys, childhood chums of the Calgary The explosive nature of Monahan’s game — with that offensive knack, Flames’ standout. with that flair for (late-game) drama — is at odds with his low-key personality. Attention-seeking is clearly not something Monahan is They played hockey with Monahan. They played lacrosse with him. interested in.

They howled at his wisecracks. They were victimized by his pranks. Monahan’s reserved nature is evident and well-grooved by now are the tales of his childhood shyness. They grew up with him. According to Monahan himself, there had been two trouble spots — And now? They watch him — closely always, rattled occasionally. public speaking and, believe it or not, public scoring. Sure, Monahan is a well-established NHLer after nearly six years of “Doing my speech in front of my class — that was the worst,” Monahan service. Yes, the tight-knit band of buddies has lockstepped into their said. “My mom (Cathy) usually helped me write them — I’d kind of bribe mid-20s and into full-fledged adulthood. her to do that. A couple times … I didn’t really read it too many times But broadcasts of you-know-who can still startle. (beforehand) and I was really nervous. But I’d always get up there and do it. I’d be nervous, shaking a little bit.” Seeing No. 23 in red can be a real head-shaker, even now. As far as his sheepish displays after goals — and there was plenty of “It’s insane. It’s weird to even have a friend playing professional sports, scoring in hockey and lacrosse — he cannot explain it. but to have your best friend near the pinnacle of the game … it’s even crazier,” Kussmann said. “I’m kind of getting used to it now, but “I’d almost hide my head and try to get to the bench — I’d actually go sometimes — and I watch the Flames pretty religiously — I’ll stop and under the bench so no one could see me,” Monahan said. “I’d always try think, ‘Geez, I’m watching Sean on TV right now. He’s on the power play. to find an excuse to not go out there and my dad (John) was the guy He just scored.’ who’d always drive me forward to get out there.

“I’d love to say it’s sunk in completely, but every once in a while, I just “I never liked to celebrate after I scored. I don’t know why that was. But think to myself, ‘Oh my god, this is Sean out there, just buzzing, just the shyness was just something that was part of me when I was a kid.” lighting it up.'” This theme has been explored by reporters before — during his time with (L-R) Michael Kussmann, Gabe Valenzuela and Sean Monahan. the OHL Ottawa 67’s, during his early days with the Flames. It was (Courtesy of Michael Kussmann) recently brought up on and the topic featured prominently during a Tim Hortons-produced short of Monahan and his Even for a fellow professional athlete like Caputo — in his fourth year in family. the NLL, his third with the Rock — Monahan’s status continues to give him pause. His pals pooh-pooh the portrayal. Meek and mild? They’re not familiar with that version of Sean Monahan. “It still kind of catches you,” Caputo said. “It’s just like he’s playing his first game almost when we’re watching. It’s pretty cool. He’s your best friend, “I can confirm that he’s definitely the funniest guy I know,” Kussmann but you can be his biggest fan, too.” said. “Everyone who’s around him is around him for a reason. He doesn’t have a crazy entourage or anything like that. But when some of our NHL keeners these guys, they realize the significance of being buddies are all together, he’s the funniest guy you’ll ever meet. He’ll have teammates with Jaromir Jagr, of scoring on Martin Brodeur, of staring you laughing hysterically. down Connor McDavid, and, in particular, of lining up against Joe Thornton. “But a lot of people wouldn’t think that about him, right?”

They’re fully aware that Monahan wore No. 19 in minor hockey because Added Caputo: “He is pretty shy towards people he’s not totally he idolized Jumbo. comfortable with, but when he’s with his buddies or his family … he’s got some pretty good one-liners … pretty sly remarks that get you going.” “I remember they had a close-up of the draw — you could see Monahan and Joe Thornton,” Kussmann said. “I was just thinking about being in his But they do understand where Monahan’s reputation for reticence comes shoes, about him thinking, ‘Here’s the guy I watched growing up, from. After all, like everyone else, they read the stories and hear the modelled my game after, and now we’re battling on the draw.'” quotes and watch the scrums.

What Valenzuela finds most striking are the photographs. For instance, a “He’s gotten a lot better,” Kussmann said. “I remember a couple of his snapshot of Monahan and Sidney Crosby jostling in the faceoff circle. interviews in Ottawa when he was first breaking into the OHL … not that they were bad or anything, but he was pretty short. He’s not going to give “I’m like, ‘He’s beside the best player … Captain Canada,'” he said. “This you an answer more than a sentence long.” is crazy.” As a fresh face at the Saddledome, the teenager had been politely It would be remarkable to have an acquaintance make it to the NHL, cautious in the crosshairs of microphones and cameras. Responses even if he scraped it around for only a few winters. Because, let’s be revealed little of his personality. And in the opening month of his Flames career, a Twitter account was “And I was on this line, too,” he chuckled. “I was living the dream, just born — @boringmonahan. tap-ins. It was us three on a line for, god, so long. We lit it up pretty good. We were best friends, the three of us.” The ensuing cornball posts — starting with this one: “I left my towel on the other side of the dressing room. Jiri found it and handed it back to Thinking of those days, Valenzuela is reminded of something. He starts me. That was nice of him” — were a smash. laughing.

A representation of the offerings: “One time Sean forgot his hockey pants,” he said. “For most of us, we’d probably not practise. He literally went on the ice without any pants on. It “Yesterday I lost a pumpkin seed somewhere on my floor and today I still was hilarious. I remember my dad was just dying of laughter. I don’t know can’t find it. I really hope I can find it sooner rather than later.” how Sean did that. I was a shy guy growing up, too, and I would’ve been “I said congrats to Joe Colborne on his 28th point, he said thanks Monny! like, ‘I’m not going on the ice. I have no pants.’ He had just his jock on, I said April Fools Joe, you only have 27 points.” some UnderArmour, some shinpads, and he just went out and practised.”

It’s worth noting that the fake account — its operator remains anonymous Beyond organized sport — with its rigid schedules of workouts and — has drawn more than 60,000 followers. Meanwhile, Monahan’s games — there was an assortment of usual activities for the mates. verified account sits at 36,000. Street hockey. Skateboarding. Horsing around.

“It’s funny,” Kussmann said. “People who really know him will find that “We’d push each other with our competitiveness,” Caputo said. “It’s kind (parody account) hilarious because if you really know him, he’s literally of what made the friendship.” the funniest guy you’ll ever meet in your life.” All the boys took sports further — Kussmann pursuing hockey and “He gets a kick out of it, too — he doesn’t even know who runs it. When I lacrosse at Laurentian University, Valenzuela earning a scholarship at read out a Tweet, he thinks it’s pretty funny,” Caputo added. RIT, Caputo being drafted into the NLL by New England.

At that first camp, the drive to succeed narrowed Monahan’s focus to As for Monahan? He was picked in the first round of the 2010 OHL draft, achieving a single goal. He wasn’t interested in stirring the pot, delivering 16th overall, by the Ottawa 67’s. bon mots. He spoke when he was spoken to, that’s it. How would he fare in junior?

“I mean, the only thing that was in my head was trying to make the team “I was thinking, ‘I wonder how he’s going to do? It’s a new level,'” and make the best impression I could,” Monahan said, who potted 22 Valenzuela said. “Sean’s a different type of player — he’s not super-fast goals that year. “Whether it was talking to media, talking to coaches, … but he’s one of the smartest players I ever played with. But I didn’t whatever it was, I laid low. I didn’t want to step on any of the guys’ feet in know how far his hockey IQ would carry him, right? Then seeing how well the room. he did with the 67’s, it was like, ‘Holy shit. He’s killing it. He’s definitely “Obviously, you come in as an 18-year-old, you’re a little bit shy, you’re a going to get drafted (into the NHL).’ Then, it was, ‘Will he to make the little bit intimidated. You’ve got to grow out of it quick.” (Flames)? It’s another level. It’s hard.’ Now when I see him, I’m not surprised anymore. At the end of Monahan’s freshman season, Chris Butler noted: “We kind of joked — we only saw him get excited 22 times this year. He goes out. “I know that he’ll be this good for a long time because the style he plays Works hard. Doesn’t really smile much. And gets the job done and he — how smart he is.” scores and he’s happy.” Said Caputo: “He always had that natural gift of scoring and doing the Joe Colborne told reporters: “He’s just got that monotone that’s never right things — just a high hockey IQ from a young age, you could varying. Hopefully, as he gets more comfortable in the league, he’ll start definitely tell. With anything — lacrosse, basketball — he was always opening up to you guys a little bit more.” good.”

In-house, however, Monahan settled in nicely. He survived his rookie Such was his determination to reach the NHL that even the 2013 pre- dinner in New York — with fellow newbies and Colborne draft grinder — endless poking and prodding — didn’t faze Monahan. In — even if he had been required to tell jokes to the group. fact, somewhat surprisingly, he found that side of the experience to be enjoyable. “That’s one of the fun nights of the year,” Monahan said. “That kind of stuff, with the team environment, I’m fine. That’s easy. These guys, “I was excited,” he said. “You’re talking to NHL general managers and you’re with them every day. They’re like your brothers, basically.” coaches and scouts. At that point of my life, I wasn’t shy at all. You’re becoming an adult. You’re trying to fulfill a dream. You’re trying to make Remember any of the gags from that night? the best impression you can. That was actually real fun for me, talking to those guys.” “No, I don’t,” he said, chuckling. “I could barely remember them when I was up there. But I remember I was Googling a whole bunch to prepare Since being selected sixth overall — wedged between Elias Lindholm myself in case one of the other boys stole one of my jokes.” and Darnell Nurse — there have been few letdowns for Monahan. In Calgary, he’s counted on to produce and he’s counted on to lead. Maybe it’s worth putting stock in his friends’ claims — that Monahan has a witty side, that he can be a ham, that he does possess a wicked sense Yet — despite fame (no one from his draft class has scored more times) of humour. and fortune (his $6.35-million salary is public knowledge) — his essential Sean-ness remains. These days with the media, he is more at ease. Lengthier responses. More insight. It’s just taken time. Which is fair enough, when you think He is no different now. about it. “Definitely, absolutely not,” Kussmann said. “People ask me that a lot, After all, no one gets into sports so they can one day participate in press ‘Has he changed? Does he still come around?’ He’s 100 percent humble conferences. and genuine. A loyal friend. Absolutely nothing has changed him.

The idea is to have fun and, if you’re like Monahan, excel. As a “I would assume it’s a pretty rare thing. Because for a lot of people, youngster, he starred in hockey for the Battalion, in lacrosse for the naturally, things are going to change. With Sean, absolutely nothing.” Excelsiors. This was the starting point of those lasting relationships. Although walking down the street with Monahan can be a hoot. In On the ice, Monahan centred Kussmann and Valenzuela, a unit that Toronto, there is little fuss, but Kussmann remembers the first time he stayed intact year after year in Brampton. visited Monahan in Calgary.

(Courtesy of Michael Kussmann) (L-R) Michael Kussmann, Sean Monahan and Phil Caputo. Courtesy of Michael Kussmann. “Sean’s obviously extremely talented,” Kussmann said. “And our buddy Gabe is a really underrated and gifted player. He reminds me of Johnny “I was a bit of a photographer,” he said. “Someone would hand me their (Gaudreau) — he’s a shorter guy with incredible hands and speed.” phone and say, ‘Take a picture.’ It was funny.” Kussmann paused. This past August, Monahan and Caputo drove from Toronto to Calgary to watch the Minto Cup, the national junior lacrosse championship, at Max Bell Arena. Fair to say, the hockey player did not go unnoticed. No matter.

“If fans come up to him, he’s more than willing to take pictures, talk with them, sign autographs — he’s a good professional,” Caputo said. “Now we’re kind of used to it. But that first year, second year, just walking behind him and seeing everyone turn their heads and looking at him … it’s pretty surreal. But that’s what’s expected of the job, so it’s nothing to us now.”

Added Valenzuela: “He’s still the same guy. Modest and a joker — that’s pretty much it. It just depends on the environment. If he’s with the guys at his house or someone’s house, he’ll be himself and be really funny. If he’s in a public place, he’ll leave the pranks for later.”

One stunt merits re-telling.

Grade 9, the first week of school, Monahan borrows Kussmann’s phone. He hands it back to Kussmann — who is unaware that Monahan has installed Taylor Swift’s Love Story as the ringtone and cranked up the volume. Mid-class, Monahan dials his friend’s number.

“Everyone just started dying of laughter,” Valenzuela said. “Kussmann knew right away it was him. Things like that he would do. It was funny.”

No doubt the levels of hilarity remain high during the friends’ group chats, which occur daily for the 24-year-olds.

“We’re always talking, sending stuff, jokes and memes,” Caputo said. “Just friendly chirps. We’re all busy, we all have our jobs, but we find a way to communicate with each other.”

And, when schedules permit, there’s more. During last year’s NHL All- Star break, Monahan attended Caputo’s game in Toronto.

And next month when the Rock visits the Calgary Roughnecks, Caputo plans to stay here for a couple of extra days, catching up with Monahan and watching the Flames tangle with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Maybe contact with his old pals is actually healthy for Monahan?

“I think it’s good,” replied Kussmann, “for him to hang around with — quote-unquote — normal people, working normal jobs.”

But, for large chunks of Monahan’s existence now, there is little that is ordinary.

His profile is sky-high — and getting higher. With that come demands, such as the guest appearance on Hockey Night in Canada’s popular postgame segment.

“Oh god, it’s so weird,” Kussmann said. “I’ll have to pinch myself, ‘You’re watching Sean right now on TV, on After Hours, being interviewed by Scott Oake.’ Sometimes when I’m sitting around with some buddies, we’re all hooting and hollering at the TV whenever he’s playing or getting interviewed. That’s always funny.

“Every once in a while, I still have to remind myself of the reality of the situation.”

The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130639 Carolina Hurricanes

It wasn’t as epic as Duke’s comeback, but the Canes also rallied to a win

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

The Carolina Hurricanes rallied with four goals in the third period for a 4- 1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 12, 2019. On a night when Duke came back from a 23-point deficit to beat Louisville, the Carolina Hurricanes had a rally of their own. Observations from the Canes’ 4-1 win Tuesday over the Ottawa Senators: -- While the comeback wasn’t quite Duke-ian, the Canes’ four-goal third period kept most of the good vibes from the 3-0 start to the road trip from being wiped away. Playoff-caliber teams find a way to win those kinds of games and end road trips that way. -- Does Teuvo Teravainen need to shoot more? Yes, Teuvo Teravainen needs to shoot more. That release is nasty. -- Going home suits Calvin de Haan well. The man from Carp, Ont., played one of his best games of the season. He’s one smooth defenseman and he was active Tuesday in all three zones. De Haan drawing a tripping penalty against the Sens’ Thomas Chabot in the third was the turning point in the game. -- The trade debate needs to end with Micheal Ferland. The Canes need to keep him, let him play out the season, then do their best to re-sign him before July 1. If the two sides are wide apart on salary, which they may be, they’ll have time to close the gap. Ferland is such a good fit. -- In his at-the-bench interview before the game, Canes TV analyst Tripp Tracy reminded Justin Williams that he scored the winning goal on a power play at Ottawa in January, telling Williams to go do it again. Williams, who seemed amused, smiled and said “Yes, sir” and then did it again with his power-play goal for a 2-1 lead. Call it the power of suggestion ... -- A power-play goal? Yes, a power-play goal. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said power-play woes early against New Jersey “sucked the life” out of the team Sunday in the 3-2 loss to the Devils. Williams’ goal breathed more of it into the Canes after Ferland tied the score seconds into the third. -- Still like the look of that line with Sebastian Aho centering Teravainen and Ferland. Brind’Amour went back to it early in the third, with instant results, then switched back to Aho with Williams and Nino Niederreiter. Nice juggling act by the coach. -- Did the Canes really get Nino for Victor Rask, straight up? -- Did the Canes really get goalie Curtis McElhinney off waivers? -- Always enjoy hearing Justin Williams talk about Brind’Amour, the coach. Williams has said if often about his former Canes teammate -- Brind’Amour was a player, he understands what players are going through, what players need to hear. What has not been said by the captain: “Unlike the previous coach ...” News Observer LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130640 Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Overcome Senators With 4 in the 3rd

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS FEBRUARY 13TH, 2019

OTTAWA — Teuvo Teravainen scored two of Carolina’s four unanswered goals in the third period as the Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1 Tuesday night. Micheal Ferland and Justin Williams also scored for the Hurricanes (29- 22-6), who wrapped up a season-long five game road trip. Curtis McElhinney made 25 saves. Mark Stone scored the lone goal for the Senators (21-30-5), who saw its two-game winning streak come to an end. Anders Nilsson, making his third straight start, stopped 33 shots. Down 1-0, the Hurricanes tied the game just 16 seconds into the third period when Dougie Hamilton found Ferland at the net for the tap-in. Shortly after the Senators found themselves in penalty trouble as Thomas Chabot was called for tripping and Cody Ceci took a double minor for high sticking Nino Niederreiter. Carolina wasted no time on the two-man advantage as Williams found some open ice and fired a shot bar down to take the lead, and just over one minute later Teravainen made it 3-1 by beating Nilsson with a one- timer. Teravainen scored his second and 17th of the season late in the period off a turnover as he beat Nilsson high shortside. Carolina’s Jordan Martinook had a great chance in the opening minutes of the second period to tie the game, but Nilsson stopped him in close. Nilsson frustrated the Hurricanes again later in the period making a couple big saves with Carolina on the power play. The Senators appeared to take a 2-0 lead at the four-minute mark, but the goal was called back when it was deemed there was a kicking motion when Jean-Gabriel Pageau connected with the puck before it bounced in off McElhinney. Both teams had a number of good chances in the first, but it was Ottawa that opened the scoring at the 12-minute mark. Stone knocked a puck out of the air and over McElhinney’s shoulder to extend his point streak to four games (four goals, two assists). Notes: Filip Gustavsson got his first NHL recall and served as the Senators backup Tuesday as Craig Anderson took a tennis ball to the eye Monday. Patrick Brown was a healthy scratch for the Hurricanes. Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press News Observer LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130641 Chicago Blackhawks Alex DeBrincat, who grew up near Detroit, tried to reach back into his memory and recall when his love for hockey developed.

“I feel like I've loved hockey ever since I could remember anything,” Blackhawks recall when they fell in love with hockey: 'I didn't want to DeBrincat said. “Hockey’s always been my whole life. As a kid playing on leave my seat' the pond we had so much fun out there with my brother and our friends. My dad used to build a rink every year, so that’s probably where most of it came from. Jimmy Greenfield “Being able to have such a good time with your friends and really have no cares in the world.” The memories are a little fuzzy. The feelings as strong as ever. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 02.14.2019 When Dylan Strome was about 7, his beloved Maple Leafs were playing the hated Senators in a “Battle of .” “It was crazy,” Strome said. “People were making songs. Someone flew a plane over Ottawa that had (a banner) on the back and it said, ‘Leafs Suck’ and so the Leafs fans were all in a rage about that. I remember just getting all my Leafs gear on and going to my buddy’s house and watching the entire game.” It doesn’t matter where a future NHL player grew up — Canada, the United States or even Britain — at some point a love of hockey takes hold and they fall hard. To mark Valentine’s Day, the Tribune asked several Blackhawks to recall the first time they were struck by Cupid’s, well, hockey stick. For Strome, who grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, about an hour outside Toronto, that Leafs-Senators series in 2003 was the beginning. “That was when I felt like everyone loved hockey so much that this was what you did,” Strome said. “It was on TV and your parents talked about it and you talked about it. It was just what you loved to do. If you’re growing up and (hockey’s) always on TV, you just kind of fall in love with it.” Growing up in Winnipeg, the seats that Jonathan Toews would sit in at Winnipeg Arena with his dad were hardly the best in the house. They were in the far reaches of the arena, best known as the nosebleeds, and when you sat in certain spots it wasn’t even possible to see the videoboard. The stairs were steep, the sight lines terrible, and 8-year-old Toews was in heaven. “I remember sitting in the nosebleeds at a Jets game and my dad was trying to get me some candy and some popcorn and I didn’t want to leave my seat,” Toews said. “I was glued to the game right from the get-go. That was probably where it all started for me, just being in an atmosphere like that watching pro hockey and going home and never wanting to put your stick down and always wanting to play.” Connor Murphy had a far different perspective than Toews growing up but with the same result. Murphy’s dad, Gord, was an NHL player, so he was able to spend time in dressing rooms and even skate with his dad’s teams occasionally. “I hit an age where I started playing travel hockey,” Murphy said. “And then I got to see a couple practices and go into the dressing room and see what that atmosphere is like. It just felt like another level. It clicks with you how big of a stage it is and how it’s the best of the best. That just sparks a passion and love for it.” Brendan Perlini was born and raised in England before moving to Detroit as a teenager. While he played hockey, his friends in England were into cricket and soccer. Perlini marches to the beat of his own drum, and he enjoyed being one of few who played hockey. That made it feel special. But it wasn’t until he came to the United States and he faced tougher competition that his relationship with hockey changed. “When we moved to Detroit we had, myself included, four first-round NHL picks (on our team),” Perlini said. “Those guys were so much better that I think that’s when I I got the bug to become better. I don’t know if I fell in love with hockey, so to speak, but I loved the aspect of always improving and getting better. That is my driving force.” Frozen ponds and backdoor rinks are hockey’s playgrounds. Part of the romanticism of playing on outdoor rinks comes from waiting all summer for winter to return and create an unforgettable hockey environment. “A lot of my love for the game of hockey came from playing on the outdoor rinks in Canada,” said Hawks goalie Cam Ward, who grew up in Edmonton. “I remember the cold weather, I remember the snow, just going out there and having fun with your friends. Despite that weather you’d be lugging your skates out to the outdoor rink and having the greatest time.” 1130642 Chicago Blackhawks

Everything going Blackhawks' way as they push for playoff spot

By Jason Lieseremail

A season in which the Blackhawks felt like everything was working against them, all the way down to their travel schedule, suddenly has flipped. In an obvious leaguewide conspiracy to get them in the playoffs, the Hawks are catching breaks left and right as they rise through the Western Conference wild-card chase. Despite going into Boston on Tuesday and getting blasted 6-3 in a performance coach Jeremy Colliton criticized as unenthusiastic, the Hawks ended the night no worse off in the playoff hunt. They’re still four points out, thanks to the Wild blowing a 3-1 lead and allowing two late goals in a home loss to the Flyers. ‘‘We’re much better than that,’’ Colliton said of the loss to the Bruins. ‘‘That’s not us. We need to respond. There’s no time. We’ve got to get back playing well.’’ The Hawks’ season-high seven-game winning streak is done, but they’re well-positioned to launch a new one with games against the Devils, Senators and Red Wings — the bottom three teams in the East — in the coming week. The Devils visit the United Center on Thursday without reigning MVP Taylor Hall, who is working his way back from an injury. The Hawks won’t face a current division leader until their game March 3 at the Sharks and won’t see their next one until the Jets come to town a month after that. Eight of their next 12 opponents are outside the playoff field, and several of those don’t seem interested in getting there. That buys the Hawks just enough time for goalie Corey Crawford to return. It’s all going according to script. Speaking of Crawford’s comeback, it might be soon. The Hawks made a seemingly inconsequential roster move Wednesday by putting center David Kampf on injured reserve, but they could have done that anytime in the last week because he’s out long-term. They left Kampf on the active roster because there was no urgency to clear a spot. Perhaps now there is a need. Crawford went through his first full practice Saturday, saying he felt back to normal and wanted to get in net as soon as possible. While the Hawks certainly did their part to get back in the race by winning seven in a row, they’ve gotten plenty of help. As they made their move, nearly everyone else in the cluster of seven teams jockeying for two spots stumbled. Only the Blues, now the hottest team in the league with a string of seven victories, have been better than the Hawks. The other teams — the Wild, Canucks, Coyotes, Avalanche and Oilers — went a combined 16-23-11 in their last 10 games. The Wild, who had a divisional seed in hand at the All-Star break, have one victory in the second half. Captain Mikko Koivu tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last week and is out for the season. The Avalanche looked like a playoff team early in the season, but they’ve won three times since New Year’s Day and had a blowup on the bench last month between star Nathan MacKinnon and coach Jared Bednar. It’s all coming up Hawks, and it has reached a point where it will be a shame if they can’t finish the turnaround by sneaking into the playoff field. Colliton, of course, wouldn’t buy any of this. He thinks it all comes down to whether the Hawks resume the performance that helped them go 14- 6-4 from mid-December until Tuesday or revert to when they were the worst team in the NHL. ‘‘Play well, play well, play well,’’ he said, ‘‘and we’ll get our wins.’’ Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130643 Chicago Blackhawks Momentum is a funny thing, and if their goalies -- which may soon include the recovering Crawford -- keep this up, who's to say they can't defy those odds and electrify the city with another postseason berth? Why flip-flopping goalies is working for the Blackhawks "I love that we're playing for something and guys have that belief in the locker room that if we keep doing what we're doing we're going to give ourselves an opportunity," Ward said. "Obviously, you take care of what John Dietz you can control and that's going out there and win hockey games. "We want to just keep this thing rolling." knew this was it. Do or die time. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 Racing down the ice -- with just more than a minute elapsed in overtime - - was Vancouver's rookie phenom Elias Pettersson. Pettersson exploded past center ice, then past the blue line and was a second away from possibly giving the Canucks a huge victory over the Blackhawks at the United Center last Thursday. Delia, in the biggest game of his nascent NHL career, watched Pettersson's stick. His body language. His eyes. His torso. And managed to make the save, by far the biggest of his 40 in the Hawks' 4-3 victory. Two days prior in Edmonton, Cam Ward watched Connor McDavid burst into the offensive zone and backhand a perfect pass to a streaking Ty Rattie. The Hawks were about to go down 3-1 late in the second period. No way Rattie misses from just 10 feet away. Yet, he did, thanks to a quick-thinking Ward, who stretched out his right leg to deny the Oiles' winger. Buoyed by that stop, the Hawks stunned Edmonton with 5 third-period goals en route to a 6-2 victory. Since Corey Crawford was injured, this uncommon 1-2 goalie punch has not only kept the Hawks afloat but sprung them right into playoff contention. "We like them both and they're doing a good job, so why wouldn't we keep both of them fresh and ready?" coach Jeremy Colliton said. "As long as that continues, we'll probably keep this arrangement." Delia is 6-3-3 with a .916 save percentage and 3.22 goals-against average in 12 starts, while Ward is 7-3-0 since getting on his teammates for their brutal defense in a 7-3 loss to the Sharks on Dec. 16. "I feel composed, smoother in my game," said Ward, whose made 43 saves during the Hawks' 5-2 win over Detroit on Sunday. "Sometimes you want it so bad that you try so hard that it can work against you. Sometimes less is more. "I'm seeing the puck and have been real patient in my movements. In turn, it's turned into a better performance." The experience difference between Ward and Delia could not be any wider. In Ward, the Hawks can turn to a 34-year-old veteran who has won a Stanley Cup and boasts nearly 700 NHL games to his name. In Delia, who signed a three-year contract extension Monday, the Hawks are staring at their future in the cool, calm 24-year-old California native. This flip-flopping system the Hawks are employing definitely feels a bit odd to Ward, who averaged 54 starts from 2014-17. Still, he went through a strange situation last year as well when he reclaimed the starter's net after Scott Darling struggled in his first season with the Hurricanes. "Where I'm at in my career, I don't want to overthink it," Ward said. "When called upon, step up and perform and do your job. "I'm also there to support Collin too, because he is the future. It'd be great to see him succeed and take that next step in his career." Delia proved he wants to do exactly that during the Hawks bye week when he eschewed the beaches and headed to Massachusetts to work on his game. "Sounds typical of him," Colliton said. "That's how he is. He really cares about being great. He wants to be a top player in this league, and he's willing to work at it. "That's great for him and great for the organization." Said Delia: "Just got a little alone time with myself on the ice and worked on some things that I felt I had been deficient in. I think we all used the break to our benefit." The Hawks are still considered a longshot to make the playoffs -- they have just a 9.6 percent chance as of Tuesday, according to hockeyreference.com -- but don't tell them that. 1130644 Chicago Blackhawks of his clothes were jammed into a few suitcases. He and Perlini — who had his mom around to help him find what few winter clothes he had — ran back to the rink around 11 p.m. to get their gear from one of the ‘My whole life is different now’: Blackhawks share the human – and equipment managers, who was nice enough to get it all together for hectic – side of NHL trades them. Strome and Perlini were in a car together by 3:30 a.m. They beat the storm, and went straight from the airport to MB Ice Arena for their first By Mark Lazerus Feb 13, 2019 Blackhawks practice. Between the late trade, the early flight, the frantic packing in between and the general nerves and excitement that come with leaving the only NHL organization you’ve ever known, there wasn’t much time for sleep. Brendan Perlini was getting a haircut from his mom — hey, she’s a former hairdresser and even guys making high six figures like to save 20 Adrenaline goes a long way, though. bucks — when his phone started buzzing on a nearby table, just out of reach. “It was quite tough, but it was exciting,” Perlini said. “It’s a new situation and a new group of guys. And I think that’s the cool part. You’re kind of The Arizona Coyotes had just gotten thumped 6-1 by the Flames in a just running on adrenaline. It was really exciting. In fact, here’s a funny home matinee, their fourth straight loss, and everyone was a little bit on story: We had played (in Chicago) in October. It was nice weather, and edge. Someone, it might have been Perlini himself, cracked a joke that me and a couple other guys went out for dinner, and we’re sitting outside he probably got traded. Then the phone just kept buzzing. eating dinner and I said to the guys, ‘Wouldn’t it be great at one point to play in a big city like this?’ Then boom, within a few weeks, I got traded “I was like, ‘Hang on a sec, I better check this,’” Perlini said. here.” Turned out it was just a bunch of texts from some buddies, nothing of Drake Caggiula, Dec. 30, 2018, from Edmonton to Chicago significance. So Perlini went back to his haircut (his folks were leaving the next day and time was of the essence) and went to take a shower 10 It’s a cardinal sin in online gaming to quit in the middle of a game. But minutes later. Drake Caggiula’s game of (wait for it) Fortnite took a back seat when Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli called on the afternoon of Dec. 30. In fact, Then the phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn’t his buddies. It was Caggiula’s agent had texted him about a half hour earlier, briefly Coyotes general manager John Chayka. It was around 9 p.m. interrupting the game, to tell him that while he had heard some rumors “He doesn’t call unless something’s really going on,” Perlini said. that Caggiula could be on the move, he didn’t expect anything to happen until he came back from vacation a week later. And just like that, Perlini’s life was turned upside-down. He, along with teammate Dylan Strome, had been traded to the Blackhawks. Moments “Thirty minutes later, still playing video games, I get a phone call,” after the call from Chayka, Perlini got a call from Stan Bowman. He and Caggiula said. Strome were booked on a 5:50 a.m. flight out of Phoenix the next The call, as it always is, was brief. morning, the Blackhawks were practicing at 11 a.m. Central, and, oh, a big snowstorm was about to hit Chicago. “They just call you and it’s basically, ‘Hey, how’s it going? We traded you to Chicago. Best of luck the rest of the way,'” Caggiula said. “It’s part of See you soon. the business, but it’s a pretty crazy day. There’s a lot of stuff running There might not be any other profession where this happens. One through your mind — what do I do, what do I pack, what do I bring with moment, you’re with one company in one city, and the next, you’re with me, what do I leave behind, what documentation do I need?” another company in another city, whether you like it or not. And you have Ah, yes, the documentation. Getting traded from one country to another to leave. Now. brings its own set of headaches. And one of the first things Bowman told As the Feb. 25 trade deadline approaches, several Blackhawks who Caggiula that afternoon was that they needed to work on his visa. They have been through the jarring, terrifying, exciting and exhausting process figured it would take a couple of days. But the New Year’s holiday and of being dealt shared their stories. It’s an emotional wringer. It’s a life- the government shutdown further complicated an already complicated changer. Most of all, it’s a logistical nightmare. issue. It took nearly a week for Caggiula to arrive in Chicago. Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini, Nov. 25, 2018, from Arizona to “I think the holiday and the shutdown had a little bit to do with it,” Chicago Caggiula said. “But with the new government, they’re being a little extra careful with people coming in, and the paperwork took a little bit longer Strome got to the check-in counter at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix than normal. But I got here and everything’s good now.” around 4 a.m. He had four suitcases and a hockey bag with him, with the rest of his stuff crammed into his car, which he’d have shipped to The delay was frustrating — Caggiula hooked up with the Sherwood Park Chicago as soon as possible. Hockey players typically fly charters, so Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League just to get some skating they usually don’t have any kind of status on commercial airlines. And in, and he wound up living out of a suitcase in his own apartment five checked bags will cost you. because he could have been cleared at any moment — but it actually made the process less hectic for Caggiula. He had time to pack, time to So here’s a lesson for any NHL hopefuls out there. If and when you make get his affairs in order, time to do a little research on Chicago. it, and if and when you get traded, make sure to keep your receipts. Oh, and time to make it up to the buddies he abandoned in Fortnite. Hey, if Perlini can save $20 on a haircut, Strome can save $125 in baggage fees. “They were pretty upset with me because I had to call it quits in the middle of the game to answer some phone calls,” Caggiula said. “But I “They take care of all your expenses when you get traded,” he said. “You was able to play with them the rest of the week. That made it a little just get a receipt at the airport and they pay you back. Not too better.” complicated.” Chris Kunitz, Feb. 27, 2009, from Anaheim to Pittsburgh Everything else is, though. You’re nearly eight months pregnant with your first child. It’s your Strome was playing Fortnite on his Xbox — his parents also were in town birthday. It’s 72 degrees outside every day in February. Then your for Thanksgiving weekend, but already had returned to their Airbnb for husband calls. the night — when he got the call from Chayka. We’re moving to Pittsburgh. Today. “When you lose a game pretty badly and you get a call from the GM, it’s never a good sign,” he said. “He just told me I got traded to Chicago, and This is your life, Maureen Kunitz. that was pretty much it. Short phone call. He just told me Stan was going “There was a lot of uncertainty,” Chris Kunitz says with a chuckle. to reach out soon to let me know what was going on. So I called my parents, I called Alex (DeBrincat), I called my brother, and I was gone.” Kunitz is the only current Blackhawks player who has been part of an actual trade-deadline deal. And while the trade to Pittsburgh put him on a Packing was relatively easy for Strome, which was good because he line with Sidney Crosby and led to three Stanley Cups and the best years didn’t have much time. He had yet to receive his housing letter from the of his career, he was just two years removed from a championship in Coyotes, who still weren’t sold on him as an NHL player, so he had been Anaheim. He had just been named an alternate captain. The last thing he staying at teammate Jakob Chychrun’s place, paying him rent month-to- was thinking about was being traded. month. So he had no lease to break, no furniture to move. He put all his suits in a suit bag, which he then folded inside his hockey bag. The rest But the Ducks, on a six-game road trip at the time, had just gotten waxed buddy, former Blackhawks teammate and new Hurricanes teammate 6-0 in Boston. And while they were a decent 30-28-5, they were a Joakim Nordstrom, served as his search engine the rest of the summer. whopping 28 points behind first-place San Jose in the Pacific Division. Kunitz was the first of several to be sold off. “It made it pretty easy,” Kruger said. “He was there for two years prior, so he knew how to get around and where to go and what to do, so I talked “Being the first domino to fall on a team that you had won a to him a lot. Then you get there, and it’s just hockey again.” championship with was quite shocking,” Kunitz said. “You kind of learn later in life that it’s just part of the business and it’s just how things go. I Slater Koekkoek, Jan. 11, Tampa Bay to Chicago guess it couldn’t have turned out much better than it did, but it’s a pretty On the last day of his conditioning stint with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, emotional time.” Koekkoek arrived at the rink and saw an equipment manager carrying all Kunitz was on the ice at the tail end of a practice, just messing around of his stuff up a flight of stairs. That was strange. Then he walked into the and taking some shots, when the trade went down. One of the athletic dressing room and found his stall completely empty. That was even trainers told him that Ducks coach Randy Carlyle wanted to talk to him. stranger. So Koekkoek sought out one of the team’s athletic trainers. Kunitz walked into the locker room and Carlyle handed him a phone. Oh, you don’t know yet? Assistant GM David McNab was on the other line. Moments later, Koekkoek was in the office of GM Julien BriseBois, who We just traded you. Wanted to tell you. happened to be in Syracuse. Moments after that, Koekkoek was standing “I hurried up, got showered and got out of there, because I didn’t know on the side of the road with his hockey bag, waiting for a team staffer to how to react,” Kunitz said. “I went outside and called my wife, talked to pick him up and drive him to his hotel, and then to the airport. my agent. The PR guys from the Penguins told me to go back to the He was in Chicago by 8 p.m. hotel and bring my equipment, so I just went back and waited. A couple of my teammates came back to the room and said bye, which meant a lot “I got to the hotel in Chicago and went to bed,” Koekkoek said. “And I to me.” was like, well, my whole life is different now.” The next day, Kunitz made his Penguins debut — at the United Center At the time, the Lightning were 34-8-2, eight points clear of every other against the Blackhawks. Less than halfway through the first period, he team in the league. The Blackhawks were 16-22-8, three points clear of already had an assist and a goal. His wife and dad packed up the car 31st place in the NHL. But Koekkoek was fine going from the penthouse and drove across the country to Pittsburgh. The team had a hotel all lined to the outhouse. Hell, he was excited about it. up for them, but there was some obvious urgency to find a place in a hurry. Change can be scary, especially when it’s as sudden and drastic as an NHL trade. But it can also be for the best. Ask Kunitz. Ask Strome. Ask “In our scenario, having a baby, we were not going to be in a hotel,” Koekkoek. Kunitz chuckles. “It was a lot compressed into a very short amount of time. But it obviously worked out for the best.” “People could say, ‘Oh, you could have won a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay,’” Koekkoek said. “But I wasn’t really a part of it. I wasn’t playing. I Artem Anisimov, June 30, 2015, Columbus to Chicago barely got in the lineup. So sure, it’d be nice to have the Cup for a day, but would it feel deep down like I did anything? No, it wouldn’t. So I’m Getting traded in the offseason is different. It’s still a shock to the system, happy to be here, and I’m happy to be in the position we are, fighting for to be sure, but you have time to think about it, to stew on it, to process it. our playoff lives. It was for the best.” “It’s a little bit easier, because you’re just sitting at home preparing for the The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 season,” Anisimov said. “Then you just read the news or your agent calls you and tells you you’ve been traded to that club or this club. So it’s just like, ‘OK, change of plans.’” Anisimov never saw the trade to Chicago coming, but he had more than two months to figure out what to do next. His wife, Ksenia, was pregnant, so finding a place became the top priority. The Blackhawks invited Anisimov to the convention in July, and while Artem was shaking hands and signing autographs, Ksenia was house-hunting in Chicago. The couple returned to the States in August, earlier than usual, because the baby was due in mid-September, right at the start of training camp. She had the baby in Columbus on Sept. 17, Anisimov drove to be there, then brought the now four-person family back with him to Chicago. “That’s it,” he said. “Very easy. Much better in the summer.” Marcus Kruger, July 2-4, 2017, from Chicago to Vegas to Carolina You can forgive Marcus Kruger for the blurry timeline in his memory. He was a member of the Vegas Golden Knights for mere hours, and there were four time zones and two continents involved in the first dramatic shakeup of his NHL career. He was in Sweden, and he was a Blackhawk. Then he went to bed a Golden Knight. Then he woke up a Hurricane. Or something like that. Who can keep track? “I was traded while asleep,” he said. It was pretty late at night in Sweden when the Blackhawks traded Kruger to Vegas for future considerations, shortly after the expansion draft. He had time to call his parents and a few friends, but went to bed before he could start looking up real estate options in the desert. He didn’t know for sure he was going to be quickly flipped to another team for a fifth-round pick, but he knew the Golden Knights had hoarded players just so they could make such trades. “Midday the next day, I got another call,” he said. “Everyone woke up (back in America) and I was going to Carolina.” Kruger had played a handful of games in Raleigh by that point, but hockey players don’t exactly sight-see when they’re on the road. Maybe there’s a dinner out the night before a game, but then it’s morning skate, lunch, nap, game, gone. So Kruger looked up the city on Wikipedia to get an idea of how big it was and what it was like. His summer training 1130645 Colorado Avalanche

Colorado nonprofit and Humboldt Broncos bonded by hockey, overcoming tragedy

By MIKE CHAMBERS | February 13, 2019 at 6:54 PM

Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation, a Colorado non-profit which has raised nearly $1.4 million to benefit Front Range hockey players in need, spread its goodwill to Saskatchewan, Canada, after learning of the April 6 bus accident that killed 16 players and staff of the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Dawg Nation raised money for the Broncos at its 2018 Dawg Bowl hockey tournament and flew down two paralyzed Broncos and their fathers to Denver in November for a weekend of University of Denver hockey, an Avalanche game and a Broncos game. In return, the Broncos invited Dawg Nation executive director Marty Richardson and four others to Humboldt for a weekend of hockey. The following is Richardson’s day-by-day account of his recent Canadian visit: Thursday, February 7: Flew to Calgary, Alberta, and went to the Flames/Sharks game with Humboldt survivor Graysen Cameron and his family. Also joining us was Chris Cederstand, former junior A player that lost his leg in an accident in 2005. Chris went onto becoming a member of the National Canadian Sled Hockey team and now trains with Ryan Straschnitzki several times a week. Ryan was paralyzed in the crash and is a Dawg Nation recipient. Friday, February 8: Flew to Saskatoon, Sask., and then drove to Humboldt. We spent the afternoon at the home of Jacob Wassermann. Jacob was also paralyzed in the accident and is the son of Kirby Wassermann, long time childhood friend of Avs coach Jared Bednar. The Wassermann visit included three generations of Wassermanns and three full hours of story telling, memories and some laughs as well. From there Cappy (Richardson) had dinner with Kevin Garinger, former president of the Humboldt Broncos. Kevin was thrust into the limelight after the accident and had the very difficult task of speaking at all 16 services and being the face of the organization throughout the weeks/months following the tragedy. The day culminated with Cappy dropping the puck at the Humboldt/Weyburn game with a very nice tribute read by the PA announcer on the connection between Dawg Nation and Humboldt. Humboldt won 5-4 in an OT shootout. Marty Richardson, Dawg Nation Marty Richardson, right, the executive director of Colorado-based Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation, visits with Kirby Wassermann and his son, Jacob Wassermann, a goalie who was paralyzed in the April 6 bus crash on Feb. 9 in Humboldt, Sask. Saturday, February 9: Our group drove to the crash site for the most powerful portion of the trip. In wind-chill temperatures in the minus-50 range we spent over an hour at the site (some of that warming up in the car). We placed a puck on each memorial and ended the visit in an emotional prayer circle led by Mike Freeman. We then went to our second Humboldt/Weyburn game of the weekend. This time Humboldt ran away with an easy 6-2 victory. After the game with met with the coaches and were part of their annual players/coaches charity shootout. We culminated the night by speaking to the players in the locker room. After Cappy shared the Dawg Nation story and the Humboldt connection we passed out Dawg Nation caps to all the players. It is an unwritten rule that no pictures are to be taken in the Humboldt locker room this season so we had no intent of taking a picture. However, led by assistant captain and crash survivor Brayden Camrud, that rule was broken a team picture was taken with everyone in a Dawg Nation hat. Denver Post: LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130646 Colorado Avalanche

Five takeaways from the Colorado’s eighth consecutive loss

By Evan Rawal - February 13, 2019

Home ice is supposed to be an advantage. But even being at Pepsi Center could not stop the bleeding for the Colorado Avalanche. Tuesday night the Avalanche lost to Toronto, 5-2, extending their losing streak to eight games. What did we learn from this game? The Avs offense is running through the defense right now, and it is no recipe for success. The Avs attempted 54 shots at even strength, and 30 of them came from their blueline. It is clear that is what the coaching staff is preaching and it is not a recipe for success. They’ve got to find a way to create chances in close to the net. Ryan Graves continues to be one of the few bright spots since the start of December. He picked up his third goal of the year in only his 12th game. There’s no reason to even risk trying to send him back through waivers. He’s earned a spot on the roster. The Avs penalty kill, as it has been for most of the last two months, was a disaster. They gave up three power play goals in less than two minutes in the second period, killing any chance at a home win. Coming into the game, the Avs were 26th in the NHL on the penalty kill, and they will drop even further after this one. Semyon Varlamov gave up four goals on 17 shots but he didn’t get much help from his teammates in this one. The first goal was on a breakaway, the second breakaway the Leafs got within the first few minutes of the game. The last three were on the penalty kill where the Leafs passed the puck around with ease. Not a loss you can place on the goaltender. The top line carried the team through the first two months, but they look exhausted. Tonight, both Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog failed to even register a shot on net. Teams are focusing on that line now more than ever. The Avs now head on the road to take on the best team in their division, the Winnipeg Jets, on Thursday. The game starts at 6 PM MST. milehighsports.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130647 Colorado Avalanche

Avs losing streak hits eight games in loss to Toronto

By JJ Seaward - February 13, 2019

Things continue to get out of hand for the Avalanche. Colorado Avalanche fans will have to continue to wait patiently for a victory, as the Avalanche come up empty-handed in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center. The Avs have now lost eight-straight games. With a first period goal from Ryan Graves, the Avalanche were tied 1-1 at the end of the period. But that changed quickly in the second period as an ill-timed penalty shifted the momentum to the Maple Leafs as Toronto exploded with three unanswered powerplay goals from Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, and Kasperi Kapanen to give Toronto a 4-1 lead at the second intermission. “I want to take advantage of this chance,” Graves said, “it is an opportunity that I have been given and I am just trying to stay within myself a play my game. If there is minutes there to be had, then I will take with what I can get and make the most of the opportunity.” The onslaught of goals by the Maple Leafs in the second period eventually led to Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov getting pulled in favor for backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who finished the game. “I thought that Grubauer did a really nice job coming in cold,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said, “And you know what? I thought that [Varlamov] looked really good too. Varly was giving a chance to win. What is he going to do on the powerplay goals? It was great execution by [Toronto] and I didn’t think Varly had a chance. “I pulled him because it has been a while since Grubauer got in the net, and try to spark our team.” Bad luck continued for the Avs in the third period, as Kadri tallied his second goal of the game to give the Leafs the 5-1 lead. Colorado notched one last goal as Avalanche forward Alexander Kerfoot redirected a shot from the point from Avs defensemen Samuel Girard. The schedule will not be doing the Avalanche any favors, as they will hit the road for a Valentine’s Day showdown on Thursday, February 14 in Winnipeg against the Central-division leading Jets. “It’s frustrating, but we are trying to look at the positives such as going on that three-game road trip and taking away three points against three good teams,” Graves said, “That is positive, and in the situation that we are in right now you have to look at the positives. milehighsports.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130648 Colorado Avalanche Sure, Carvel would love to have the 20-year-old Calgary native around another couple of years. But even he says what’s best for Makar is probably to get on to the bigger stage and leave Amherst behind. The Cale Makar Show is coming to an Avalanche game near you soon “I won’t be surprised if he moves on,” is how Carvel diplomatically puts it to BSN Denver. “I know scouts think he could play (at the NHL level) right now, and maybe he could, but the thing I respect about Cale is, he’ll BY ADRIAN DATER FEBRUARY 13, 2019 decide when he’s ready. It’s not up to me, it’s not up to Joe Sakic, it’s up to Cale Makar.”

Makar lives dormitory housing on the same floor with his teammates, four AMHERST, Mass. – Snow is falling hard and heavy on the University of to a room. He likes to play video games, and watches any NHL game Massachusetts campus on a mid-February afternoon, so much that that’s on TV. Mostly, that’s the Boston Bruins, on NESN, because that’s buildings are closing early so faculty and off-campus enrollees can get on the only thing they get. But he does keep tabs on the Avs. Route 116 and call it a day. At Roots Cafe, one of the main student hangouts on campus, the short-order cooking staff is pleasantly surprised “I try and watch them at least once a week,” he said. “I’m a pretty big fan by this turn of events. The line that had snaked around the 360-degree of hockey and try to watch as many NHL games as I can. I try and cooking station just 30 minutes before has all eaten and gotten the heck stream the Avs games when I can. I like to watch how fast they play and out of Dodge before the weather gets – as it would – even worse. the speed they bring to every game.” One block away, though, at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center, a It was quite a culture shock for him moving here before the 2017-18 group of young men ironically nicknamed the Minutemen will keep season, a kid from Calgary playing U.S. college hockey in a small town in working for the next two hours. There is a hard and heavy hockey Western Massachusetts. They don’t pronounce their Rs too well around practice (“Tuesdays are always the hardest ones”, UMass associate here, and the school is accessible only by the narrow, two-lane 116, director of communications Jillian Jakuba says), followed by a roughly about 10 miles down from Interstate 91. hour-long mandatory weight-room session. When he came here, too, the coach who had recruited him, John The last player out from the weight room is a sandy-haired, rouge- Micheletto, was fired after an 8-24-4 record in 2015-16. In came Carvel, cheeked, perspiring young man whose handshake is hockey firm and who coached the team to an even worse record – 5-29-2 – his first whose demeanor is hockey reserved. season. What had Makar gotten himself into? “Hi, Cale Makar,” he tells a reporter in for a visit from Denver. This little Makar could have redshirted and transferred somewhere else, but he moment says a lot about this young man. Despite the fact that many chose to stay loyal to UMass, with the stated goal of putting the program Colorado Avalanche fans are calling him a “savior” these days, despite back on the map. Judging by the packed houses at the the fact that he is the Big Man on Campus right now and despite the fact and the winning record (the Minutemen were even ranked first in the that his YouTube UMass highlights are getting “OMG” remarks in the nation earlier this season), consider that Makar Mission accomplished. comment boxes, Makar goes into a meeting with a Denver reporter unassuming enough that he should maybe brief him on who he is. That probably helps explain why there is no hint of melancholy to Carvel’s voice when the subject of Makar comes up, even if these are the It probably won’t be much longer before Makar will need no introduction final days. to Avalanche fans and the larger hockey world. The Massachusetts sophomore defenseman is highly likely to declare himself pro and sign an “Cale’s played his part. I think part of the reason he came here was the entry-level contract with the Avs when his current college season is over. challenge of putting UMass on the college hockey map,” Carvel said. When that happens, and whether he plays this current season for the “He’s been extremely coachable. Takes direction well. He speaks his Avs or has to wait until the start of the next one, the Avs will get the mind. You can have very honest discussions with him, but if you tell him player some believe is the best amateur player in the world right now. If something you think he needs to do, he’ll think about it for a second and he were draft-eligible these days, there no doubt would be many if he disagrees with you, he’s mature enough to say so. But he’s very variations of #TankforCale-style hashtags among fans of bottom-feeding thankful that you pointed things out to him. He’s been an absolute NHL teams. pleasure to coach, and he’ll always be one of the great players that comes out of this program.” The fact that the Avalanche owns his rights, having drafted him fourth overall in 2017, has become the mother of all silver linings after falling to Just how did Makar go from a really fast player to “warp speed ahead” fourth in the draft order despite a historically bad 48-point season in fast, seemingly overnight? He credits a friend and teammate from his 2016-17. Add in the fact that the Avs own the 2019 first-round pick of the midget hockey days, Zac Whitby, for part of it. Ottawa Senators – the NHL’s current worst team in the standings – and “He really pushed me. He’s starting his own company called DASH their own first-round pick – which might yet give a run to the Senators’ Training (Facebook page here) in Calgary,” said Makar, who likes to read pick as the potential No. 1 overall – and this is why Avs fans should still books about human psychology in his spare time. regard the near-term future as very hopeful. Makar could make expendable right away. With the NHL A lot of Avs fans (and some in management probably) hoped Makar trade deadline less than two weeks away, and with the Avs reeling in the would turn pro last year, but he didn’t feel he was ready. He felt he standings, Barrie could be on the way out for much-needed top-six needed another year at UMass to get better in all areas, to get stronger forward help. But if the Avs are well out of the playoffs by the deadline – and mature that much more. and, especially, by the time Makar’s college season ends – a Barrie trade And now? Well, Makar sure looks ready. His thighs are well-muscled. His might not happen until the summer or right before the next season. Or, shoulders have that wide, defined slope of someone who’s done more maybe not at all. than a few side laterals. On the ice, he’s had a season that should A lot of things remain undecided, including, officially, Makar’s decision to guarantee him as a finalist for the Hobey Baker award (fans can vote for turn pro. Oh, and one other thing: Does he really want to play for the the award here). In 27 games for the Minutemen, he’s scored nine goals Avalanche? Hey, it may seem like a silly question (he would have to play and 31 points, with a plus-22. He truly has made many opponents look two more years in college to even get that chance) but some pretty big- like they’re standing still trying to keep up with his speed. He’s also made name college players have spurned the teams that drafted them and UMass a winner again. The program has gone to the NCAA tournament turned unrestricted free agent because of contract problems or desires to just once in its history (2007, with a goalie named Jonathan Quick), but is go somewhere else. One of those players was Will Butcher, originally guaranteed to go this spring. UMass is coming off a tough loss to Hockey drafted by the Avs but who turned UFA after winning the Hobey Baker East rival UMass-Lowell, but the team still has a record of 21-6 (13-4 in with the University of Denver. Others, such as Kevin Hayes, Jimmy conference). Vesey and the Avs’ own Alexander Kerfoot have done the same thing. So, while Makar looks ready to turn pro, now he also sounds like it. Makar is asked about the possibility of this happening. “My original goal coming to UMass was two years, and hopefully I’d be “No, I don’t think so. Personally, I feel that you have to remain loyal to the ready. I feel like I’m relatively on that track,” Makar told BSN Denver. “I people that gave you chances,” Makar said. guess we’ll play it by ear, but I’m not too worried about that right now.” Can you say, PHEWWW? Makar’s chief goal right now is to get the Minutemen their first NCAA championship. That’s the goal, too, of coach Greg Carvel. A former NHL “I think you’ve got to just stay true to who you are,” he says, shortly assistant coach with Anaheim and Ottawa, who was instrumental in the before leaving with teammates to grab some dinner. “For me, the development of former Senators star Erik Karlsson, Carvel knows he’ll (biggest) factor is just being able to play the game you love every day, probably only get to coach Makar another couple months or so. regardless of what’s going in your bank account.” BSN DENVER LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130649 Columbus Blue Jackets “I like to stay in the moment, in the present,” Atkinson said. “It’s probably something I’ll look back after I’m done playing and realize everything I’ve accomplished. But I’ve got a lot more to do.” 500th game 'pretty special' to Cam Atkinson Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019

Bill Rabinowitz

In the first period of the Blue Jackets’ 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, the fans at Nationwide Arena gave a warm ovation to Cam Atkinson when the video board above center ice flashed that it was his 500th career game. The right wing was on the bench. He said he wasn’t sure how to react until prodded by captain Nick Foligno. “Fliggy told me to wave, so I gave a little fist pump,” he said. “I kind of hit the panic button.” Atkinson isn’t one to look back, but he recognized his achievement. “To make it to 500 is pretty special,” he said. He wasn’t supposed to get even a fraction of that. His career was almost derailed at 15 when he suffered a broken right leg in two places during a game in his native Connecticut. The first doctor he saw told him that he would never play again. Atkinson proved him wrong but still had to overcome persistent questions about his size. The 5-foot-8 Atkinson had to wait until the sixth round of the 2008 draft before the Blue Jackets took a chance on him. “Third overall pick (of the round),” he quipped. And, for value, one of the best picks the Blue Jackets have ever made. He has 176 career goals and is tied for seventh in the NHL this season with 31 heading into Thursday night’s game against the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders. If Atkinson continues his current pace, he will break the franchise records for goals in a season (41, by Rick Nash). “He’s earned everyone’s respect,” Foligno said. “He is a superstar in this league. The way he plays the game and how dangerous he is, he makes us a threat every time he’s on the ice. If you watch him play, he loves the big-pressure moments in games.” On Saturday, Atkinson scored the tying and winning goals in the Blue Jackets’ 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. “No one’s going to tell me what I can and cannot do, especially in hockey,” Atkinson said of doubters. “That’s fueled my fire to get me to where I am today. I still have to use that as motivation to get better and continue to grow.” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella appreciates the way Atkinson has matured in his preparation. “When I first started coaching Cam a few years ago, when he had a good game he was strutting around and thinking he had all the answers,” he said. ”(He) forgot how to prepare for the next game, because he thought it was just going to come to him. He’s turned into a really good pro. As far as his readiness, he’s always working on that part of his game. He’s made tremendous strides there.” Atkinson plays on both special-teams units. On Tuesday, he almost scored a short-handed goal while drawing a penalty. “I’m not so sure there’s a more important guy on our club than that guy,” Tortorella said. “Other than your goaltender, I’m not sure who’s more important. We put an ‘A’ (alternate captain) on him because we think he deserves it.” Atkinson, 29, is thinking about playing another 500 games with the Blue Jackets. He signed a seven-year contract extension worth more than $41 million in November 2017. He is part-owner of a hockey training facility called The Battery in Plain City and plans to stay in Columbus after his career. Even with the uncertainty about the potential departures of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and linemate Artemi Panarin, Atkinson is optimistic about his team’s potential. “I love it here,” he said. “It’s a sports city for sure, and our fans are just waiting for us to bring that (Stanley) Cup back to Nationwide. We’re pretty close and it’s only a matter of time.” If that happens, Tuesday’s milestone will seem like just a small step along the way. 1130650 Columbus Blue Jackets

Josh Anderson shakes off clean, but painful, hit by Capitals' Tom Wilson

Brian Hedger

After absorbing a big hit Tuesday from Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, the Blue Jackets’ version of Wilson crumpled to the ice in a heap. Josh Anderson stayed down for a couple of minutes, struggling to regain his breath, but he later said it was a good, clean shot by Wilson — who has gained more recognition for hits that were the opposite of clean. “I’m coming off the bench, off a change, and I’m going full speed at him,” said Anderson, who missed the remainder of the first period in the Jackets’ 3-0 victory at Nationwide Arena. “The puck was closer to me, so I’m thinking to hit him first, but it was too close. So, I just tried to poke it and I opened myself up for him, and he got the best of me.” Wilson’s hit brought back memories of a game against the Capitals last Feb. 26, when Anderson suffered a knee sprain in the waning minutes of a 5-1 win at Nationwide. Anderson suffered a twisted knee after a hip check by Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov and missed 18 of the Jackets’ final 19 regular- season games, finishing with 19 goals, the number he has now. Had what happened Tuesday been more serious, he could have been stuck on 19 — his career-high — again. All Anderson cared about at the time were painful muscle spasms in his lower abdomen. “When I came back from the dressing room, I kind of relaxed a little bit and felt OK, and then probably about five minutes later, my muscles started seizing and it was, like, a pain that I’d never felt before,” he said, pointing to an area beneath his rib cage. “I thought there was something serious wrong there. (After) about 10 minutes, the seizing kind of stopped and then in the intermission it really calmed down.” Anderson finished the game and assisted on Artemi Panarin’s empty-net goal to seal it. No dekes for ‘Duke’ Anthony Duclair opened the scoring against Washington with his 11th goal and first since Jan. 13 against the New York Rangers. He found the net with a low wrist shot that beat Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby between the pads. The goal was a reward for Duclair, who is now refraining from deke moves during open scoring chances. Coach John Tortorella lamented Duclair’s penchant for losing the puck off such moves after the Jackets’ 2-1 loss Jan. 19 in Minnesota, before the Jackets’ extended midseason break. Now Duclair is firing more wrist shots. “I’m not deking anymore,” a smiling Duclair said after Tuesday’s game. “Torts told me not to deke anymore, so I’m kind of not allowed to deke anymore. Every time I get a chance, I just want to put a puck on net.” Not for chewing Cam Atkinson logged his 500th career NHL game Tuesday and got a game puck to commemorate it. He said the puck likely will be placed in his infant son Declan’s room. “He’s chewing on everything right now,” Atkinson said. “At least he can’t swallow it.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130651 Columbus Blue Jackets Wilson, who’s roughly the same size, just as physical and has a much worse reputation for illegal hits, readied for contact as both went after a loose puck in the Capitals’ zone. Anderson took the brunt of the collision, Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 0 | Five takeaways falling to the ice and staying down for a couple minutes. “I’m coming off the bench, off a change, and I’m going full speed at him,” said Anderson, who thought it was a clean hit. “The puck was closer to Brian Hedger me, so I’m thinking to hit him first, but it was too close. So, I just tried to poke it and I opened myself up for him, and he got the best of me.”

Anderson missed the remaining 11:34 of the period, but returned for the All that separated the Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals was a start of the second and finished the game. He even assisted on Artemi single goal with 4:22 left in the third period Tuesday night at Nationwide Panarin’s empty-netter. Arena. There was a little scare, though, prior to his return. Play stopped for a timeout, as the Capitals prepared for their last-gasp push to tie, when an inspirational montage played on the arena’s video “When I came back from the dressing room, I kind of relaxed a little bit boards hanging above center ice. The video didn’t really do all that much and felt OK, and then probably about five minutes later, my muscles for Blue Jackets fans, who sat through it nearly silent, but the word started seizing and it was, like, a pain that I’d never felt before,” “NOISE!” flashing on the screens toward the end seemed to get the Anderson said, pointing to an area beneath his rib cage. “I thought there message across. was something serious wrong there. (After) about 10 minutes, the seizing kind of stopped and then in the intermission it really calmed down, so it People rose to their feet and began to chant: “C-B-J! C-B-J! C-B-J!” was good.” Their voices echoed from all sides of the arena, as the Blue Jackets – He compared the feeling to muscle soreness associated with the flu. who grinded out a 3-0 victory – readied themselves for Washington’s push. “I feel OK, a little sore,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of a sore stomach kind of feeling, like you’re just getting the flu. It’s like when you get sick to your Even one Capitals goal held the potential of deflating what was otherwise stomach, but they said it’s from the muscles and everything that’s going an outstanding night for the Blue Jackets (32-20-3), who outshot on in there.” Washington 24-7 in the first two periods and 32-20 for the game. Last year, Anderson sustained a knee sprain Feb. 26 against the That goal never happened, though. Capitals, twisting his leg awkwardly after a hip check by Dmitry Orlov late in the Jackets’ 5-1 victory here. That injury sidelined Anderson for 18 of Alexander Wennberg won the face-off to restart play, one of his 15 the final 19 games – returning for the regular-season finale in Nashville. winning draws for an 80 percent night, and Columbus captain Nick Foligno made it 2-0 just 35 seconds later – getting the puck from Seth He finished with 19 goals, which is the same amount he has now. Jones and firing it past goalie Braden Holtby for his 14th goal of the season. 3) Mr. 500 Just like that, it was 2-0 in favor of the Blue Jackets – who could finally Atkinson didn’t score a goal in his 500th NHL game, but had a big impact take a breath. on the outcome. The goal cannon fired off a blast, fans deliriously jeered the Capitals – He played 21:58, the most of all Blue Jackets forwards, and finished with who’d knocked Columbus out of the playoffs last year in a close first- a team-high seven shots on goal. That included some great work on a round series – and that was the beginning of the end in something that key penalty-kill in the third, after center Riley Nash was called for hooking hasn’t come easily for the Blue Jackets this season. 3:24 into the period. They won a home game, against an upper-crust opponent, and it wasn’t The Capitals only trailed 1-0 and their power play is usually lethal with a fluke – regardless of the Capitals playing the finale of a back-to-back guys like Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the ice. that began Monday in Washington, D.C. This one wasn’t, though. This one looked like the Blue Jackets’ power “Maybe we just think it’s going to be an easy game when we come home, play used to look, prior to Martin St. Louis’ consulting collaboration with but tonight I think we showed that we’ve matured as a club,” said Cam assistant Brad Larsen and head coach John Tortorella. Atkinson, who logged the 500th game of his NHL career. “We played the right way from start to finish, and when we play like that, it’s hard for Atkinson scooped the puck off a terrible turnover in the Capitals’ zone teams to beat us. We’re a good team.” and got off a backhand shot, then got open for a shorthanded breakaway a few seconds later off a stretch pass by Zach Werenski. Finally, they showed that in their own building – something that had become a lost art of sorts. It was impressive, all the way around. His forehand deke nearly put the puck into the net between Holtby’s pads and did draw a slashing penalty that negated the rest of the Capitals’ Here are five takeaways from the Blue Jackets’ dominating victory: power play. Tortorella wanted a penalty shot, which didn’t happen, but that was a key moment. 1) Capital punishment Atkinson was at the center of it, showing exactly why he’s played that The Blue Jackets say all the right things about playing the Capitals – how many games already. they’re just another Metropolitan opponent and the two points for a win mean the same as two against, say, the Anaheim Ducks. 4) The Jackets weren’t gassed We all know they’re not telling the entire truth. The Blue Jackets were supposed to get on the ice Monday at Nationwide Arena for a practice their first day back after a long flight home from Las Washington ripped the Jackets’ hearts out in that playoff series, coming Vegas. back from a 2-0 hole by winning the next four in a row – including three at Nationwide Arena. It stung quite a bit and hung on longer than your They celebrated quite a bit in Las Vegas, following a 4-3 victory there average first-round loss. Saturday night, and Tortorella wanted to get in some work to help get their legs back. Instead, a natural gas leak was reported before practice The Jackets have responded by winning three of four games to take the started and the arena – along with several nearby businesses – was season series – something the Capitals did to them last year. They also evacuated. improved to 4-1-0 in their last five regular-season games against Washington, going back to Feb. 26 last season. Practice was canceled for what Tortorella called a “gas day,” during his postgame press conference and the Jackets came out with all kinds of Head-to-head results are usually best assessed in the postseason, but jump against the Capitals after two days off. it’s noteworthy how the Blue Jackets have played in 75 percent of their games against Washington this season – including two road wins before “The biggest thing for me is how much energy we played with,” Tortorella this triumph at home. said. “I’ve always thought, ‘Maybe you should give them the two days and just have the morning skate,’ like we did because of the ‘gas day.’ I 2) Anderson’s return was going to skate ’em (Monday).” Josh Anderson ran straight into a huge hit from the Capitals’ Tom Wilson Good thing he didn’t. just past the midpoint in the first period. “Remember, they went hard off the ice, too, after the Vegas game,” Tortorella said. “They went hard. But coaches ... we just screw it up. We overthink it. So, it’s something I need to think about when we get back to that, if we have another situation like that – and I’m sure they’re going to remind me.” 5) ‘No dekes’ rule pays off Following the Blue Jackets’ 2-1 loss in Minnesota prior to their extended break last month, Tortorella vociferously lamented Anthony Duclair’s penchant for losing the puck while trying to deke goalies. Duclair got the message and returned after the break vowing not to deke on good scoring chances anymore. Well, the new strategy paid off Tuesday with his 11th goal and a 1-0 lead. After getting the puck off a nice pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand, Duclair’s hard wrist shot from the left circle beat Holtby between the pads for the game’s first goal. “Nope, I’m not deking anymore,” Duclair said, smiling. “Torts told me not to deke anymore, so I’m kind of not allowed to deke anymore. So, every time I get a chance, I just want to put a puck on net.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130652 Columbus Blue Jackets Another team that I believe will show interest in Stone is the Calgary Flames. He’d be a great fit with the Cup-contending Flames and I don’t think the idea would be just to bring him in as a rental, either. LeBrun Notebook: A scenario where Columbus would keep Artemi As I reported on Monday night on TSN, my expectation is that by Panarin (at least for the stretch drive) Wednesday or Thursday, the Senators will have taken another run at the Stone camp on the contract front, just like the dialogue continues with the Duchene camp. But the clock is obviously ticking. By Pierre LeBrun Feb 13, 2019 Speaking of Matt Duchene …

While I do view Panarin as the perfect fit for Nashville, don’t count out No doubt most people think the Columbus Blue Jackets are bluffing when Duchene. The Predators spent almost two years trying to trade for they say that keeping Artemi Panarin as their own rental is an option. Duchene but GM David Poile couldn’t quite satisfy Colorado GM Joe Sakic as far as compensation to be a part of the three-team deal which And while I do believe it’s more likely than not that they trade away the saw the centre end up in Ottawa. pending UFA star winger before the Feb. 25 trade deadline, I don’t think the own-rental premise is a red herring. Far from it. They will keep While I personally prefer the idea of Panarin in Nashville because of his Panarin under one very specific circumstance in my mind. Let’s game pure offensive skill, which is what the Preds need most, Duchene would theory the scenario to explain: be a heck of a consolation prize, especially given how Poile has pined for him in the past. So file that one away … The Jackets receive their best offer for Panarin and decide to move him. To replace him on the roster for this season, Columbus swings a deal And finally, Eric Staal with a team which is also offering up a rental player (e.g.: Matt Duchene). The key for the Jackets is the net difference between both deals must What happens with Eric Staal if the Minnesota Wild fall out of the race amount to Columbus walking away with a key future asset for it to make over the next two weeks? sense for them. For starters, he will have a lot of say on his destination. Because there’s almost no chance GM Jarmo Kekalainen simply sells off The 34-year-old centre has a 10-team no-trade list as part of his modified Panarin without also trying to replace him in some fashion via a separate no-trade clause and my understanding is that the list is vastly made up of transaction. He wants to give his team a chance to win this season. playoff contenders. That was by design in order to give Staal maximum But if the difference between what he’s getting on Panarin and what he control for just this very situation in case the Wild season didn’t go has to pay to replace him up front is minimal, then what’s the point? The according to plan. Jackets would simply keep Panarin instead. Remember that Staal’s trade deadline experience, going from Carolina to All of which is why I think Kekalainen, like many other teams, is keenly the Rangers in 2015-16, didn’t turn out to be terribly enjoyable. Just my waiting to see how the Duchene/Mark Stone situation plays out in own take but I think Staal would rather stay put in Minnesota and not re- Ottawa. Not only because I think he would inquire on Duchene but also live that experience. because Ottawa’s two pending UFAs are going to impact the market for One of the teams that might come calling and I believe is on his ‘no’ list Panarin. are the Jets, especially if they strike out on guys like Duchene and/or Now, to me, you’ve got three very different players here: Panarin is the Stone. most dynamic offensive player of the group, as impactful a difference- Now, that’s not to say Staal wouldn’t ultimately waive for Winnipeg or maker offensively as we’ve seen on the rental market in a long time; another playoff contender if he feels the situation was right. Remember a Stone is the most well-rounded winger, an absolute stud who does it all; year ago that Stastny waived for Winnipeg. Again, the point here is that Duchene is a rare commodity, a top offensive centre that is actually veteran agent Rick Curran wanted to give his client as much control as available if indeed Ottawa decides to move him. Furthermore, he’s possible for the trade deadline and that’s why so many contenders played really well this season on a losing team. populate his no-trade list, a list which was submitted last summer. Which What could change the worth of these rentals on the market is if was a smart move on their part. Duchene and/or Stone are no longer rentals but rather signed The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 commodities instead. Because we know Panarin has publicly made it clear that he’s going to the July 1 market. It’s not so clear with Stone and Duchene, there could be a chance to get those guys signed as part of the process. I know it’s a possibility that agent Pat Brisson has discussed with Duchene as part of their due diligence. If you’re the Senators, and you can’t sign those players, surely you want them to sign with your trading partner in order to ramp up the return. Of course the Sens could simply add a conditional pick to the deal instead, but I think if they sign in real time with their new team, that augments their trade value in real time. Now, there are some teams who would only want them as rentals. Winnipeg comes to mind. The Jets are in a salary cap predicament after this season and are looking for strictly a rental player, at least at the onset. Panarin will be a rental but that doesn’t mean Columbus won’t protect itself just in case. I’m told Kekalainen has informed interested parties that part of the deal to get Panarin would be to include a conditional asset in the event, no matter how remote, that Panarin would indeed stay put and re-sign with his new team after the season. Which is to say, there’s a lot of moving parts in both Columbus and Ottawa over the next 12 days or so. These aren’t necessarily straight- forward deals we’re talking about. They might even end up involving third parties to find the right fit. It’s going to be mighty fascinating. Speaking of Mark Stone … While I believe Stone would be the most attractive player for the Jets, Duchene would be the best ‘fit’, because as a centre he could duplicate what Paul Stastny did a year ago as a rental player for Winnipeg. It was indeed interesting to hear TSN colleague report during our Insider Trading segment on Tuesday evening that he believes Winnipeg’s No. 1 need was a top-6 winger, not a centre, and that Stone tops the target list. Which would suggest the Jets are fine with Bryan Little as the No. 2 centre. 1130653 Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella joined Anderson in saying he had no issue with Wilson’s check after the game Tuesday.

“It was a clean hit,” the coach said. 439 pounds of bad intentions: Josh Anderson withstands collision with Tom Wilson Once Anderson got back to the locker room, after the Wilson check, he figured the worst was over. His head was clear. His shoulders were fine. He had the wind knocked out of him. It’s the price players sometimes pay By Tom Reed Feb 13, 2019 in collision sports. And, then Anderson tried standing up. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Josh Anderson said he could not breathe for about “I couldn’t stand up straight,” he recalled. “I was bent over for like 10 40 seconds after his high-speed collision with Tom Wilson on Tuesday minutes.” night inside Nationwide Arena. His chest and stomach radiated with pain. In an attempt to calm him, That wasn’t the scary part. Anderson said, the medical staff placed him flat on a table and raised his legs. The Blue Jackets winger returned to the locker room midway through the first period and spent about 10 minutes hunched over unable to stand up Although the pain subsided, Anderson said his body ached for the rest of straight. the game the way it does when in the grips of the flu. That wasn’t the scary part. “His first shift (in the second period) he was kind of feeling it out a little bit,” Tortorella said. “Once he felt comfortable, he was determined. He’s It was the moment when every muscle in Anderson’s abdomen — where been good for us. That was a very important line for us playing against Wilson planted his right shoulder — seemed to seize up at once. The their top line most of the night. moment when the Blue Jackets’ trainers laid him face up on a table and lifted his legs perpendicular to his body in hopes of getting him some “Andy did a lot of hounding of the puck and protecting the puck. That’s a relief. big blow for us if we lose him in that situation. … High marks. He comes back and plays a really good (second and) third period.” That was the scary part. Anderson, who has 19 goals and 10 assists, helped the Blue Jackets win “My muscles started seizing and it was like a pain I had never felt their fourth consecutive game. They have beaten the Capitals three times before,” Anderson said. “So, I thought there was something seriously this season in four tries, but Tuesday was the first win over Washington wrong.” at home. The agony lasted for about 10 minutes. And once it abated, Anderson did The Blue Jackets lost all three playoff games at Nationwide Arena last what so many NHL players tend to do. He grabbed his helmet and a stick season and were embarrassed by the Capitals, 4-0, here on Dec. 8. and looked for somebody else to hit. “If we are going to have any sniff at all, we’ve got to figure out our home Anderson returned to action and played the final two periods, registering play,” said Tortorella of a club that’s been better on the road this season. a third-period assist in an impressive 3-0 win over the Capitals. From down on all fours to up for any task, Anderson demonstrated his mettle to The Blue Jackets dominated an opponent that looked ragged after teammates and fans. posting a 6-4 win over the Kings on Monday night in Washington. The defending Cup champions were outshot 24-7 through two periods by the Along with Nick Foligno and Boone Jenner, he helped blanket the Blue Jackets but were still only a goal down with 20 minutes remaining. Capitals’ top line, limiting it to four shots. Anderson made sure the lead was not squandered. He was on the ice for “That’s how he is — he’s a warrior,” Foligno said of Anderson. “(I) knew both third-period goals, supplying the lone assist on Artemi Panarin’s he’d find a way to get back.” empty netter in the final seconds. It was a nice way to end a painful night. It continued a strong run of play for Anderson, who has six goals and six “I thought we played the right way,” Anderson said. “You can tell our assists in the past 17 games. It also was a show of character against one game is coming along.” of his chief rivals in Wilson, a player to whom he’s often likened. The Blue Jackets sit third in the Metro Division two points behind the Anderson and Wilson are bruising power forwards who skate well and Capitals. They don’t play again in the regular season, but there’s a create chaos in the offensive zone. Each is a top-six winger with the chance these teams meet in the postseason’s first round. ability to score goals. The biggest difference is Wilson has a Stanley Cup ring and a reserved parking space outside the NHL’s Department of Capitals versus Blue Jackets. Tom Wilson versus Josh Anderson. Better Player Safety. brace for impact. Anderson is no fan of Wilson — the players fought last season and twice The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 in juniors — but after the game, the Blue Jackets winger emphasized it was a legal hit. Anderson did not need to go through concussion protocol. Midway through the first period, he was cruising down the left wing in the Capitals’ zone when he spied Wilson barreling toward him, chasing a loose puck along the wall. Suddenly, 439 pounds of bad intentions collided in front of the Papa John’s signage. Anderson braced for impact. Wilson drove his right shoulder into his opponent’s chest. The crowd of 15,701 fans went still as Anderson momentarily lie face down on the ice. He quickly rose to his hands and knees as a trainer rushed to his side. Anderson remained down for about 90 seconds before being helped to the locker room. “For about 40 seconds, I couldn’t breathe,” Anderson said. “Another five seconds and I would have been passed out. It was that close.” Last season’s playoff series — won by the Capitals in six games — escalated hostilities between the two clubs. Wilson, who’s been suspended four times for hits in the past two seasons, drew the ire of the Blue Jackets for his concussive blow to Alexander Wennberg in Game 1 of the series. Wilson’s history of cheap shots makes it convenient for some fans to forget he’s a talented winger who skates on the Capitals’ top line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. He’s scored a combined 28 goals in the past two regular seasons. 1130654 Dallas Stars Nichushkin does not have any goals in 40 games played and has been a healthy scratch nine times this season. Denis Gurianov will enter the lineup. Stars' Seguin, Klingberg now wearing letters in every game as Dallas Briefly: Goaltender Ben Bishop was on the ice before practice continues search for consistency Wednesday in Tampa, but is still not ready to return from an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the last three games. By Matthew DeFranks "Hasn't progressed to the area where he feels he can even back up," Montgomery said.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.14.2019 TAMPA, Fla. -- The letters on Tyler Seguin's and John Klingberg's chests won't be going anywhere in the near future. Seguin and Klingberg have been alternate captains all season for the Stars, but typically wore an "A" only during home games, while Alexander Radulov and Jason Spezza wore the letters on the road. Since the All- Star break, Seguin and Klingberg have had the honor for all seven games. "We wanted to be more consistent, so we wanted to be consistent with the A's," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "We felt that that was an important part to be consistent with our team." The home/road split with those four players began last season under Ken Hitchcock, and Montgomery chose to keep the same arrangement before the season, saying "there's been enough change," with a third coach in three years. They served as the leadership group behind captain Jamie Benn. Since the All-Star break, the Stars are 5-1-1 and will play the league- leading Lightning on Thursday night in Tampa. Montgomery has credited the leadership group with part of the recent turnaround that had given Dallas a six-point cushion in the Western Conference playoff race. "Our intensity, our pace, our execution is something that we weren't doing consistently, especially October, November," Montgomery said. "Now we're starting to. It takes a while to change habits and what people's definition of work is. But I give credit to the leadership group in there, they've bought in and we're starting to see the benefits of it on the scoresheet." Leadership became a topic of conversation in December and January, first when Stars CEO Jim Lites publicly criticized Benn and Seguin, then when Montgomery said he was frustrated that he wasn't able to change the "culture of mediocrity" in Dallas. At times throughout the season, Montgomery has asked for more ownership from the players, both in their effort and their preparation for games. After a win over Minnesota on Feb. 1, winger Andrew Cogliano said Benn, Seguin and Klingberg have helped change the attitude of the team to become more relentless. After a win over Arizona on Feb. 4, Benn and Klingberg both said more players were speaking up between periods to hold each other accountable. And after a win over Florida on Tuesday night, Montgomery again pointed to the leadership of Benn, Seguin and Klingberg on the bench. "Like I said, I think that Jamie is pushing this team in a right direction," Montgomery said Tuesday night. "I think that he's got two good foot soldiers following him there, four [with Radulov and Spezza]. There's secondary people like Roman Polak and [Blake] Comeau and [Radek] Faksa that go underrated, and Esa Lindell, that are pushing now, too. It's why they're growing as a group." Montgomery said Seguin has shown a new focus since the All-Star break during both games and practices, and that has payed off for him with six goals in seven games since the break. On Wednesday afternoon, Montgomery said he really liked Klingberg's competitiveness. "Just because he's a skilled guy, people underrate how intense he is about taking away time and space defensively and the intensity he has on one-on-one battles," Montgomery said. While Seguin and Klingberg have worn the letters, Radulov and Spezza have not. So how did the Stars talk to the veteran forwards about the change in roles? Spezza, 35, has been an alternate captain the last two seasons, and was once Ottawa's captain. Radulov, 32, is the Stars' second leading scorer. "We just said this is what we want to do to make the team better," Montgomery said. "They're great pros and great teammates and great leaders." Nichushkin out: Forward Valeri Nichushkin will come out of the lineup Thursday night against Tampa Bay after playing just 7:42 on Tuesday night in Florida, where he didn't play for the first 18:22 of the third period. 1130655 Dallas Stars

Stars' Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin give up their secrets to having a successful Valentine's Day

Joey Hayden

Valentine's Day is Thursday. And according to many of the NHL's top players, simply remembering that fact could be the best step one takes toward have a successful holiday with their significant other. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and other top stars took part in a recent NHL.com "Puck Personality" segment looking for top Valentine's Day tips from NHL players. "Maybe mix it up and don't buy flowers every year," said a sheepish Benn. "Buy some shoes or something. You should know your partner's interests by now, I hope." Seguin took the conversation a different route. "I say 'happy single's awareness day,' been saying it for years," said the Stars' leading goal-scorer this season. "Guys at home, you're single? Give me a call. We'll hang out." See the full video below: However, when Benn and Seguin's names come up around Valentine's Day, it's tough not to remember the attempted prank they pulled on their moms on Valentine's Day 2015. Both players called their mothers with the news that they (both single at the time) would be proposing to their girlfriends. Here's how the prank played out: A few months later for Mother's Day, the mothers Benn and Seguin got a taste of revenge against their sons. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130656 Dallas Stars However, that doesn’t mean the sport is easy. Neither hockey nor basketball is as easy as Heiskanen and Doncic make it look sometimes.

“He’s such a good skater that sometimes he makes skating look easy,” Teenagers Luka Doncic and Miro Heiskanen are primed to give Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell said of Heiskanen. “I wish I could have the sports fans the ride of a lifetime same skating.” One month ago, Dallas acquired Andrew Cogliano in a trade with By Saad Yousuf Feb 13, 2019 Anaheim to help a struggling offense. Winner of the “Fastest Skater” competition a decade ago, Cogliano is known around the league for his skating ability. After landing in Dallas, Heiskanen’s mobility left him floored. Being 19 years old puts you at an interesting phase in life. You just finished up high school; perhaps you’re adjusting to life as a college “Skating-wise, sometimes he does things very effortlessly out there,” student. Maybe you’re joining the workforce and figuring out how to pay Cogliano said. “He’s a guy that moves up the ice, gains a lot of space bills and file taxes. without really knowing. He might not look like he’s going full out the whole time but he’s a guy that covers a lot of ice and he covers a lot of In the case of Luka Doncic and Miro Heiskanen, you’re playing basketball space and he moves well enough to close on guys.” and hockey, respectively, at the highest possible level, helping the two franchises that call the American Airlines Center home rise to sports Heiskanen has 25 points through 56 games, scoring 10 goals and supremacy in Dallas. assisting on 15 more. While he’s tied for 10th in goals among defensemen and three of them were game-winners, stats don’t quite do Neither player was fated to end up in Dallas. Doncic and Heiskanen were justice to Heiskanen’s performance. Some his best work this season has top prospects, busy doing unprecedented things across the Atlantic. been through his poke checks, which Sean Shapiro looked at and showed examples of in a Film Room session. While the Stars offense After helping Finland take home gold in the 2016 IIHF Under-18 World has struggled this season, their defensive play has been outstanding. Championships, Heiskanen made his professional debut at just 17 years Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin certainly deserve a lot of credit for that old with HIFK of the Finnish Elite League. He scored five goals and had with their stellar play in net but even they marvel at the teenager in front five assists in his debut season, following it up with another appearance of them helping them avoid some bad situations with his stick work and in the Under-18 World Championships in 2017, where he was named the hockey IQ. best defenseman of the tournament. The NHL Draft awaited and Heiskanen was ranked as the top defenseman available. “He makes so many plays that if you only watch him once or twice, you might think they are happening by mistake,” Bishop said. “But he does it Doncic’s professional debut came even earlier than Heiskanen’s. He was so often and you realize he’s doing these things on purpose.” just 16 years old when he debuted for Real Madrid and after getting his feet wet in his first season, Doncic started to open some eyes in his first Much was expected of Heiskanen, as the third overall pick on a team that two full seasons as a pro at the ages of 16 and 17. Then came the 2017- needed a defenseman. But his play, sometimes obviously often subtly, 18 season in which Doncic burst on the scene, capturing global attention has surpassed the high bar. on a different level. He finished that season as All-EuroLeague First- Team player and EuroLeague MVP. Going into the 2018 draft, Doncic “You can’t say you expected a 19-year-old to come in and play defense was regarded by many as the best talent available. this well in the NHL,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “His defensive stick is way above and beyond anything. We haven’t had to teach him With both Doncic and Heiskanen coming into their respective drafts so that much there, at all. His ability to learn just from his video in his own highly regarded, the Mavericks and Stars had the odds stacked against mind of the game, like, we don’t have to show him video footage of what them to land either prospect. Both teams were bad during the prior happened. He knows exactly what you’re talking about. It’s unreal how season, but neither was bad enough to organically land a pick high little management time he is. He’s a low-maintenance player. It’s unreal.” enough to draft Doncic or Heiskanen. Down the hall at the American Airlines Center, Doncic has not only One team got lucky. The other got bold. surpassed expectations for his rookie season but has altered the trajectory of the Mavericks franchise with his play. Moments after drafting After finishing with the NHL’s seventh-worst record for the 2016-17 him, Carlisle labeled Doncic as “a franchise foundation piece” and his season, the Stars had less than a one-in-five likelihood of landing a top- talent was at such a level that the Mavericks head coach said his position three pick. The lottery went their way, and they wound up with the third was “on the floor.” selection. Dallas was in the market for a defenseman and had their eyes set on Heiskanen first. If he wasn’t available, they would have likely gone Doncic is a bit flashier than Heiskanen, making step-back 3-pointers, with Cale Makar, according to Sean Shapiro. Fortunately, the New circus passes and long-distance shots galore. As is the nature of Jersey Devils selected with the top pick and the basketball, it’s easier for one player to single-handedly take over a game. Philadelphia Flyers followed by taking Nolan Patrick. Heiskanen fell in Doncic has done that on many occasions, whether it was a personal 11-0 their lap. run to beat the Rockets earlier in the season, 18 first-quarter points against the Cavaliers less than two weeks ago or dominating down the The Mavericks had different luck at the draft lottery. After finishing the stretch against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. 2017-18 season tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the NBA’s third-worst record, the Mavs dropped from the third pick to the fifth in the lottery. It While Doncic’s highlight reel through just his first 54 games leaves Mavs was true to form for the Mavs, who have a history of bad luck following fans giddy, he also has a knack for making plays that can only be bad seasons. While Mavericks fans went into draft night expecting to appreciated if you watch him play. A pass to a teammate who makes the hear the names of Mo Bamba or Wendell Carter, the Mavs brain trust of shot goes down as an assist for Doncic, but doesn’t do justice to the Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban took matters into their own absurd passes he’s made from one end of the court to the other, hands. With the Hawks in their previously-held third slot and DeAndre wrapping around opposing players. Ayton and Marvin Bagley the first two players off the board, Dallas struck a trade to swap draft picks with the Hawks and send a protected first- “The way he’s playing right now already is amazing,” Maxi Kleber said. round pick in 2019. Dallas selected Trae Young with the fifth pick and “He has very good vision. His corner passes have been insane. He sees quickly sent him to Atlanta while the Mavericks received the third overall everybody, makes the right decisions and has a very good understanding pick in Doncic. of the game so it makes it very unique as a young player to understand the game already because it’s going to slow down too for him. “At one point, we thought there might be a slight chance Doncic could fall to us but a couple of days ago, it was pretty clear that there was no way “He’s making big shots, he loves those tough shots and doesn’t care that was going to happen,” Carlisle said. “He’s just too good.” about shooting percentage or anything. He just wants to win, that’s why he’s taking those halfcourt shots at the end of quarters. He’s got the right Two consecutive years, two third-overall picks and too much excitement. mentality and all of the skills he needs.” After Heiskanen spent the 2017-18 season on loan with HIFK to get one more season under his belt, the Stars and Mavs both spent the summer Doncic has lit the NBA on fire, averaging nearly 21 points, 5.5 assists of 2018 looking forward to unpacking their 19-year-old presents in the and 7.1 rebounds per game. Through three months of the season, he’s fall. hogged all three Rookie of the Month award for the Western Conference, which happens to feature the only two players drafted in front of him in Sports are fun. Whether it’s hockey or basketball, going to the arena and Ayton with the Suns and Marvin Bagley with the Sacramento Kings. On a watching elite athletes try to one-up each other is an enjoyable seemingly nightly basis, his performances are linked to the likes of experience. LeBron James, who also rattled Doncic’s name off his tongue earlier this season when listing great players he would want to play with. For somebody who was dubbed a franchise foundation piece before ever “It’s probably not going to be one person,” Cuban said. “You had asked putting on a Mavs jersey, Doncic has left the expectations in the dust. about Nashy, don’t leave out Fin (Michael Finley) and Dirk, it was a Big 3 and they all shared the spotlight and then Dirk emerged from there. It “Honestly, he’s been far better than any of us expected,” Cuban said. wasn’t ‘Okay, Dirk, you’re the anointed one.’ You don’t just walk into that “We thought to get to this point, it would take much longer but yeah, he’s spot and say ‘Okay, Dirk is the guy and it’ll be the same way here.’” been a pleasant surprise.” Carlisle also explained how being the face of an NBA franchise has “We were hoping that he has it when we drafted him,” Dirk Nowitzki said. evolved over time. “But I think he exceeded our expectations. He’s a player that gets better when the game is on the line. He wants the ball and he wants to make “When you talk about (a) Face of a Franchise guy, the sort of original decisions. He has that ”it” factor when the game is on the line, and he’s view of those guys were guys that were drafted by teams and stayed with been tremendous for us.” their teams the whole way,” Carlisle said. “Guys like Bird, Reggie Miller was one in Indiana, Dirk here, but things have changed some. LeBron His impact has been evident over the last few weeks with how the Mavs James has been the face of three franchises now and today is a different treated the trade deadline. They parted ways with two older impact set of circumstances. Contracts are shorter and the dynamics of player players in Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan and a young talent in movement are different. Dennis Smith Jr. who wasn’t an ideal fit with Doncic on the court, bringing in a 23-year-old budding superstar in Kristaps Porzingis so the two can “Things are different. It’s not that one is better than the other but develop and grow together. They also said goodbye to their primary generally speaking, the guys that become the face of the franchises, they scoring option of the past two seasons in Harrison Barnes, clearing cap want the responsibility for winning and losing, they want the ball when it room so the team could go big in the summer to help Doncic and counts and generally speaking, those guys deliver at a high level.” Porzingis. Doncic is 19 years old, turning 20 on the final day of this month. The plan was always to build a championship contender around Doncic, Heiskanen is nearly five months younger and won’t leave his teenage but the Mavericks have made no secret about the fact that their timeline years behind until after this NHL season is over. The two soft-spoken, got changed because of his spectacular rookie season. former third overall picks from overseas have helped change the mood of the American Airlines Center. Both are playing at a level nobody “It was a factor,” Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson said. “If expected, exemplary without the caveat of age. What’s scary for the rest Luka would have taken a more traditional trajectory, gone through your of the NHL and NBA is that they will only get better. For Dallas sports typical rookie season, you may not have seen some of these moves. fans, it’s time to buckle up and enjoy the ride. That was definitely a factor with this timing.” The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 Opposing superstars like Stephen Curry and James Harden find Doncic after games to give him props and exchange words. Every coach Doncic goes against seems to have only jaw-dropping comments to add, including this raving review from the NBA’s most respected coach. “He has a pace about him that’s never frantic,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s calm in everything that he does. He understands where everybody is on the court, what’s needed at time and he’s got courage. He’ll take big shots and do what needs to be done to try to win a basketball game and he obviously attracts the respect of his teammates. That’s pretty tough for a rookie to do as quickly as he did. All of that makes him one hell of a basketball player and person.” Heiskanen and Doncic both raised the bar with their play. Both teenagers are shy in front of the camera, often lost for words to even describe their own dazzling plays. Heiskanen usually says something along the lines of just playing his game that he’s been playing his entire life. Doncic, although admitting he never expected this sort of NBA success this quickly, says, “it’s just basketball at the end of the day. If you can play there [Europe], you can play here.” Heiskanen represented the Stars in the NHL All-Star game a few weeks ago while Doncic, despite receiving the second-most fan votes in the West behind LeBron James, missed the cut. Still, he’ll have a busy All- Star weekend representing the Mavs in the Rising Stars game and Skills Challenge. Watching these two competing among the elite on All-Star weekends is something Dallas fans can get used to doing. Heiskanen and Doncic are great — generationally great, even — but they can’t win alone. The best example of this is…Heiskanen and Doncic. Heiskanen’s rookie year is accompanied by one of the best goalie situations in the NHL, a solid group of players to play alongside in John Klingberg, Esa Lindell and Roman Polak and an established leadership group in Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin. As a result, Heiskanen’s great rookie campaign looks to be headed towards a playoff run come April. Doncic, on the other hand, is handling a lot of responsibility. He certainly has some strong leadership support in the locker room with Nowitzki — and up until recently — Matthews, Jordan and Barnes. However, from a talent standpoint, Doncic will need more help for the Mavericks to succeed. That’s why the aforementioned trade for Porzingis was crucial. “We’re certainly much more of a destination than we were the last two years,” Cuban said. “Not that that’s saying a lot.” With Seguin inking a new long-term deal this past summer and Benn and Bishop locked in for the considerable future as well, Heiskanen won’t have the pressure of carrying the Stars franchise by himself. Even though Nowitzki did that for the Mavericks over the past decade or so, Cuban doesn’t want to put immediate pressure on Doncic to take the torch alone. 1130657 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings TV analyst Darren Eliot leaves; who's replacing him?

Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press

Published 3:59 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 6:33 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019

If you caught much of the Detroit Red Wings game on Fox Sports Detroit on Tuesday night, you may have noticed the game was an ode to Darren Eliot.

The former Wings goalie had been one of the pregame/between the benches/between period/postgame and occasional game analysts for the last few seasons. But the Wings' 3-2 win in Nashville was Eliot's last game with FSD.

As the TV crew alluded to during and after the game, Eliot, who was also the director of the Little Caesars youth hockey program, has taken a job with the Vegas Golden Knights as vice president of hockey programming and facility operations.

And so, with just Chris Osgood as the other studio analyst, the question becomes who, if anyone, will get Eliot's reps on the desk in Southfield and at Little Caesars Arena.

Kyle Bogey, the WXYT-FM (97.1) evening host and WXYZ-TV fill-in anchor, reported on Wednesday that, during the Wings viewing party at the Sound Board at Motor City Casino, former Wings defenseman and Hockey Hall of Famer Larry Murphy said he would be returning to FSD.

Murphy was a member of the FSD crew for the Wings years ago, but was fired by the network in March 2013. Murphy told the Free Press he was informed he was let go because of ratings.

The four-time Stanley Cup champion, who was a blue liner for the Wings' 1997 and 1998 title teams, has worked with the NHL Network.

A message for FSD has not yet been returned.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130658 Detroit Red Wings

Martin Frk's time with Detroit Red Wings coming to an end

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 2:25 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 4:50 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019

That Martin Frk no longer fit into the Detroit Red Wings’ plan has been clear for nearly two months.

His apprenticeship with them is nearing the end, as the Wings placed Frk on waivers on Wednesday. If he clears, he can be sent to the minors, clearing a roster spot for the return of Tyler Bertuzzi, who is ready to return from a concussion pending clearance from medical personnel.

Frk, 25, has one goal and four assists in 25 games this season. He struggled to get into the lineup once recovered from a injury he sufferend in training camp, and when he did play, he was unable to establish himself as a threat to score. Opponents, knowing his skill set is to set up in the left circle and unleash his right-handed shot, neutralized his effectiveness. His defensive game isn't strong, and fourth-line grinder spots instead went to Christoffer Ehn and Jacob de la Rose.

Frk might draw interest from another team, as he’s finishing up a one- year deal with a cap hit of $1.05 million. The Predators, who the Wings just beat Tuesday night, have the worst power play in the NHL at 13.1 percent. Dallas assistant coach Todd Nelson used to coach Frk while head coach in Grand Rapids.

Whether he’s picked up or sent down, Frk’s time with the Wings is over. They re-signed him last summer on the strength of his 11 goals last season, but he couldn’t re-open a window of opportunity with the team.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130659 Detroit Red Wings and over, that’s what he does, he goes out and he can play against anybody in the league. He’s great on the kill. Great defensively. ... He’s a net-presence guy, which is how we scored. We talked a lot about getting Why Detroit Red Wings are better off not trading these three players back to scoring dirty and he goes right to the net and scores. He’s a big piece for us, for sure.”

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.14.2019 Published 6:01 a.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 2:17 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three players expected to draw interest as the trade deadline nears all showed why they’re so important to the Detroit Red Wings.

Their playoff hopes are all but mathematically extinguished, but that only inflates the emphasis on maintaining a competitive culture. The Wings head into Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators on a winning note, and Jimmy Howard, Luke Glendening and Nick Jensen all played key roles in making that happen.

Howard made 19 saves in the first period of Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena, and Glendening and Jensen each had two points. It was a good performance overall for the Wings, considerably better than their outings at Buffalo and Chicago.

“We battled a lot harder than the last two games for the whole 60 minutes,” Thomas Vanek said after picking up his 11th point in 11 games. “Howie was great and overall we deserved to win. Hopefully we can get on a roll.”

Howard made a handful of big saves in the first 10 minutes as the Predators attacked in waves.

“He was outstanding, especially in the first,” Glendening said. “He’s been great for us all year.”

Howard, who turns 35 in March, is a pending unrestricted free agent. He’s finishing up a third straight good season, with a .914 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average. He should draw interest leading up to the Feb. 25 trade deadline, but if the Wings move him, they’d have to find an NHL-ready goalie to replace him, because there isn’t any prospect in the system readu. The Wings want to re-sign Howard, and they want to be as competitive as possible the remainder of the season. It doesn’t make sense to trade him for anything less than a first-round pick.

Jensen, 28, is another pending UFA who the Wings want to re-sign — he’s fast, an adept defender, shoots right, and a bargain even if it takes doubling this season’s $825,000 salary to keep him. It was his shot from the point that Glendening tipped to make it 1-0 against the Predators, and it was Jensen and Glendening who set up Andreas Athanasiou’s winning goal four minutes into the third period. Jensen and Glendening, along with Danny DeKeyser, were the three called upon to kill an entire 53-second, two-man Predators power play. Jensen isn’t a high-profile defenseman, and it’s doubtful the Wings could receive something better in return than what they already have in him.

That holds true for Glendening, too — he isn’t likely to entice an offer that exceeds what he does for the Wings. Five of his 15:44 minutes of playing time Tuesday came shorthanded. He also won 15 of 17 faceoffs.

“He wins every draw, it seems like," Vanek said. "He’s like another goalie out there — I don’t know how he does it, he’s like a magnet for the pucks, but he keeps getting up and doing it over and over again. He’s got a lot more skill than I think people know. His goal was a great tip. His motor just keeps going — he doesn’t seem like he’s tired. He’s a big piece of our puzzle here.”

Glendening, 30 in April, was a favorite of former Wings coach Mike Babcock, now head coach in Toronto. In addition to his defensive prowess, Glendening has nine goals among 19 points this season in 57 games. His contract — signed through 2020-21 at a salary cap hit of $1.8 million — also makes him appealing.

He’s a big part of what the Wings call having a winning culture in the locker room, something they’ve emphasized as crucial to maintain while rebuilding.

“He’s a winner,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I don’t know what the stat is for him but I know what he equals is winning. He wins his shift over and over 1130660 Detroit Red Wings

Eliot leaving Red Wings TV broadcast team

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News

Published 8:55 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019

Larry Murphy is returning to Red Wings TV broadcasts.

Darren Eliot is leaving Fox Sports Detroit to become vice-president of hockey programming and facility operations for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Eliot will be directing facility operations for City National Arena, the Golden Knights’ practice rink, along with overseeing the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights hockey program.

Eliot has been with FSD since 2011 as pre- and post-game and between periods analyst, and sometimes substituting for Mickey Redmond as game analyst.

Since 2014, Eliot has been overseeing the Little Caesars youth hockey program and has been active with the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association.

With Eliot’s departure, former Wings players Chris Osgood and Larry Murphy will handle the majority of the remaining 25 games.

Murphy, the Hall of Fame defenseman who won two Stanley Cups with the Wings, used to be with FSD but was let go by the network in March 2013.

Osgood has been a backup, of sorts, for Eliot and Redmond.

Eliot played 88 games in the NHL over five seasons, including a season with the Wings in 1987-88.

Eliot’s son, Mitch, recently signed an entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks organization.

Detroit News LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130661 Detroit Red Wings Wingers such as Artemi Panarin (Columbus), Mark Stone (Ottawa) and Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia) are big-name players around the NHL who are likely to be dealt.

Career year could make Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist a prime trade target But there will be a few teams who’ll miss out on those three. And they’re likely to still want to add to their roster.

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Do those teams circle back to Holland and make a substantial offer?

Published 8:27 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 8:40 p.m. ET Feb. 13, “We have a couple of more weeks left. I try not to think about any of it,” 2019 Nyquist said of the speculation. “But I like said, I’d be lying if I said you don’t hear anything about it.

“But in saying that, I personally just try to focus on hockey. That’s all I Detroit — Gustav Nyquist is quick to single out who might have held him can control — and time will tell, with whatever happens.” back a bit from being the playmaking wing he is now. Nyquist feels he’s building chemistry with Larkin, similar to what he had Nyquist is more of a playmaker, and perhaps not the goal-scoring wing with Zetterberg for so many years. that so many envisioned when Nyquist first joined the Red Wings and had 20-goal seasons. “I’ve enjoying playing with Larks, and we’ve built some chemistry,” Nyquist said of his offensive resurgence. “Maybe the puck has gone a Darn you, Henrik Zetterberg. little easier this year. I can’t really put a finger on it.

“Hank always wanted the puck in the past,” said Nyquist, who laughs at “I mean, I was playing with a great player last year, too (in Zetterberg).” his own joke, then is terrified at how that could be interpreted. “No, no, no. I’m joking. That’s not true. I'm just kidding.” Consistency always has been a term associated with Nyquist — and usually, not enough consistency, in various aspects. The Zetterberg part, sure. Of course. But coach Jeff Blashill said he feels Nyquist has been competing and But Nyquist as more of a passer, creator, playmaker? That's no joke. battling at a high level this season, consistently. Even he sees himself more of that kind of player. “His compete level has been real high,” Blashill said. “That part of it, that “I’ve always seen myself a little more of a playmaker than a goal scorer,” consistency, and just that compete on a night-in, night-out basis, has Nyquist said. “Naturally, the way I was brought into this team, playing been real good. When it’s real good, he’s a real good player.” with Hank, who was one of the best playmakers around, you’re just trying to get open for him because he’d make so many plays.

“It kind of turned me more into a finisher than I used to be in the past. But Detroit News LOADED: 02.14.2019 I’ve always been kind of an assist guy.”

Nyquist has a team-high 33 assists this season, and his 47 points — he has 14 goals — only trail Dylan Larkin’s 53 points.

Well on his way to breaking his previous career highs in points (54) and assists (36), Nyquist is having a career season in the final year of his contract.

Nyquist can be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. And, if the Red Wings want to pass on re-signing him, or the two sides can’t come to terms, they’ll likely trade him before the Feb. 25 trade deadline.

The Wings wouldn’t mind bringing back Nyquist for money close to what he is making currently (a salary cap hit of $4.75 million), and Nyquist’s preference would be to remain with the Wings, the only organization with which he’s played.

But it's a business, and general manager Ken Holland needs to acquire assets whenever possible.

“I’d be lying if I said you didn’t hear anything,” Nyquist said of the endless speculation. “You see and hear the rumors, whatever they are. I’m not too much on social media but you hear about them.”

Nobody knows exactly what’ll happen before the NHL trade deadline. It appears with a greater amount of sellers than buyers, playoff-contending teams looking to get stronger are going to have their choice of rental players on the end of contracts.

In terms of the Red Wings, Nyquist, along with goaltender Jimmy Howard, forward Thomas Vanek, and defensemen Niklas Kronwall, Nick Jensen and Luke Witkowski are potential free agents.

Not all of them will be moved. There isn’t a market for all of them.

And the players who are marketable to certain teams, perhaps the WIngs won’t be offered much in return.

“The market is going to dictate what we’re thinking, what we will do,” Holland said.

Nyquist is, arguably, the Wings’ most intriguing asset heading into the trade deadline.

A playmaking winger having his best statistical season who has been in the playoffs and understands how to play with premier centers, Nyquist would seem to be an attractive commodity. 1130662 Detroit Red Wings It was satisfying for the Wings to win the final game of this fathers’ road trip.

Nobody wanted to go winless with the dads around. Red Wings put seldom-used Martin Frk on waivers “It wouldn’t have been as fun,” said Andreas Athanasiou, who scored the winner against Nashville. “It’s a good feeling when you win. Everybody is Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News in good spirits. It was good to get it for the dads.”

Published 1:46 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 3:48 p.m. ET Feb. 13, … Goaltender Jimmy Howard made 19 of his 32 saves in the first period 2019 against Nashville, and knew early on it could be a good night.

“I just felt it in my legs, I had some pop and I felt good going into (the game),” Howard said. “I’ve played in this building a lot. You know they’re Nashville – Martin Frk has one of the hardest shots in the NHL. On the going to play hard, a lot of pucks are going to go toward the net and the one-timer from the dot, few players in the league can be as dangerous. crowd is going to be into it.

But there hasn’t been much else to Frk’s game, at least with the Detroit “You have to find a way to take them out of it and we did that.” Red Wings. And as opposing teams learned to overplay Frk’s side, and Frk continued to have problems consistently getting that shot on net, his … The Wings did not practice Wednesday. playing time dwindled.

On Wednesday, in need of clearing a roster spot for forward Tyler Detroit News LOADED: 02.14.2019 Bertuzzi, the Wings placed Martin Frk on waivers.

Frk, 25, never found a place in the lineup this season and only played in 25 games, with five points (one goal, four assists).

If it felt like Frk was gone weeks ago, it’s easy to understand why. Frk has only played two games since Dec. 31.

This season has been a disappointment in some ways, considering Frk, a 2012 second-round draft pick, showed intriguing promise last season.

Frk had 11 goals (and 25 points) in 68 games last season – he was one of the Wings’ best offensive threats the first month last season – then signed a one-year contract worth $1.05 million in the summer.

But with the Wings’ roster growing with younger forwards, Frk’s place in the organization fell, and it was only a matter of time before he was let go.

Frk can be a restricted free agent on July 1.

The Wings needed Frk’s roster spot with the expected addition of Bertuzzi (concussion), who is expected to return to the lineup this week.

The Wings essentially could have chosen to send down forward Christoffer Ehn or waive Frk, and decided on keeping Ehn, a defensive- minded forward who has shown signs of a developing offensive game in recent games.

If Frk clears waivers by noon Thursday, he’ll be assigned to minor-league affiliate Grand Rapids.

‘He’s a winner’

Luke Glendening’s value to the Red Wings doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.

Now, they sort of did Tuesday, as Glendening had a goal and assist, and was plus-2, in just under 16 minutes of ice time (15:44) during Detroit’s 3- 2 win over Nashville. He also won 15-of-19 faceoffs.

But coach Jeff Blashill broke the situation down to simple terms.

“He’s a winner,” Blashill said. “I don’t know what the stat is for him, but I do know what he equals is winning.

“He wins his shift over and over and over. That’s what he does. He goes out and he can play against anybody in the league. He’s great on the (penalty) kill, great defensively, he’s a net-presence guy, which is how he scored.

“We talked a lot about getting back to scoring dirty and he goes right to the net and scores. He’s a big piece for us, for sure.”

Glendening, 29, has long been a favorite of former Wings coach Mike Babcock and there has been speculation again of Toronto, where Babcock now coaches, being interested in acquiring Glendening before the Feb. 25 trade deadline.

But it likely would take quite a package returning the Wings’ way to make a deal, considering Glendening is signed through 2020-21 at the bargain price of $1.8 million per season.

Ice chips 1130663 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings snap 3-game skid beating Predators, 3-2

By TERESA M. WALKER AP Sports Writer

Feb 12, 2019 Updated Feb 12, 2019 Comments

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Andreas Athanasiou scored at 4:08 of the third period, and the struggling Detroit Red Wings beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 Tuesday night to snap a three-game skid.

Luke Glendening had a goal and an assist, Nick Jensen had two assists and Dylan Larkin also had a goal for Detroit.

Goalie Jimmy Howard made 32 saves for the win.

Viktor Arvidsson and P.K. Subban scored for Nashville, which now has lost three straight for its longest skid since losing four straight between Dec. 17-22. Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg had two assists apiece.

Nashville finished the game with a man advantage after Danny Dekeyser went to the box with 55.9 seconds left, took a timeout and couldn't beat Howard to force overtime.

The Red Wings came in ahead of only Ottawa in the NHL. But Detroit has not lost in Nashville since Dec. 30, 2013. Detroit has taken nine of the last 10 in this series between the former Central Division rivals and took the season series.

Nashville, which lost back-to-back games to St. Louis over the weekend, opened the game outshooting the Red Wings 6-1. Only Howard making some great saves, including on Yannick Weber early, kept it scoreless. Glendening redirected the puck shot from the point by Nick Jensen, and the puck went off Rinne's right shoulder into the net for a 1-0 lead at 15:05 of the first.

Larkin made it 2-0 for Detroit with a wrister on the power play at 7:13 of the second. Arvidsson, who came in leading the NHL with 16 goals since Dec. 31, got Nashville on the board with a slap shot off the post just 36 seconds later with his 25th of the season.

The Predators have struggled mightily with the man advantage this season, and they had converted only 2 of 46 over the past 14 games when Subban added another at 17:32 of the second. He scored his fifth of the season off a slap shot tying it up at 2.

Nashville has won only once when tied after two periods this season, and not even starting the third on a power play helped. Detroit took a 3-2 lead at 4:08 when Athanasiou threw a backhander at the net from the right, and the puck went off Rinne's arm just above his glove.

NOTES

Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader passed Bruce MacGregor for 20th in franchise history with 675 games. ... Nashville dropped to 1-5-1 when tied after the second period. .. Arvidsson now has 11 goals in his last 11 games and 20 points (17 goals, 3 assists) in the 22 games since returning from a broken thumb Dec. 27. ... Johansen extended his point streak to a season-best five games with two goals and six assists. ... Subban's goal was his first on the power play this season. ...

Macomb Daily LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130664 Edmonton Oilers Girgensons and Sandis Ozolinsh. Blueger has three goals in seven games this year.

“I think he had 21 goals in Wilkes-Barre so he’s shown offence there Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby as advertised but Edmonton Oilers (before call-up). He’s made a strong argument to this point to stay,” said fall short again Sullivan

SCHULTZ A NO-GO

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Former Oilers defenceman Justin Schultz, who broke his left ankle in mid February 13, 2019 9:31 PM MST October, isn’t quite ready to return so didn’t play against his old club. Schultz was in serious distress when he got tangled up with former Habs’ centre Tomas Plekanec.

PITTSBURGH — If you wanted great theatre, you got it with the game’s “I was in shock when I was down on the ice,” said Schultz, who had a headliners Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby on Wednesday in the plate inserted into his ankle. “I didn’t skate for three months. Hard putting nationally televised game in both Canada and the United States. on the skates for the first time.”

It was the smartest kid in class, Crosby, vs the hare apparent as the best He feels better than if he had to wear a bulky knee brace, however. player. This ’n that: Rust’s goal was the Penguins ninth short-handed goal this McDavid set up Leon Draisaitl on a beautiful two-on-one early and got season, third most in the NHL, but it’s been good or bad for them. stoned on a second-period penalty shot glove stop by Matt Murray along They’ve given up a league-high 12 … Oiler CEO Bob Nicholson is on the with two shifts he might like over on the Pittsburgh goals in a four-minute three-game trip. He says he hasn’t interviewed anybody for the vacant span, while Crosby engineered a score by the Latvian Teddy Blueger in a GM job but Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin, who has learned at the fun battle that matched the pre-game hype. feet of one of the NHL’s best, Jimmy Rutherford, is on the list of candidates … Centre Kyle Brodziak, who would have played his 900th McDavid also got robbed on a goalmouth chance early in the third, and if NHL game Wednesday, was a healthy scratch for the second time in the anybody can outscore mistakes it’s McDavid but he couldn’t on this night. last three games, leaving the Oilers without any right-shot centres. When He tried mightily but the Edmonton Oilers even with one of their best Montreal was looking around for a fourth-line C this week they may have games of the year, lost again to the Penguins, this time 3-1 after seven investigated Brodziak but opted for Ducks Nate Thompson instead straight one-goal games. They haven’t beaten Pittsburgh in regulation in because he’s UFA July 1 and Brodziak has another year on his contract 13 years, back when Michel Therrien was coach in 2006. … The separated left shoulder to Olli Maatta, who maybe out for the rest McDavid was hooked by Kris Letang on a breakaway after a giveaway by of the regular-season, has thrown the Penguins for a loop because they Crosby way up ice and his penalty shot attempt by snared by Murray, had planned to play Schultz with Maatta. They dealt defenceman Jamie who was fantastic with 38 stops after 50 Monday against Philadelphia. Oleksiak to Dallas a few weeks back to clear up some cap space to deal later for forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann but now might have “That was the game-changer,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. to trade for another veteran defenceman.

“We have an A game, then we have a D game and we don’t have a B or The Edmonton Oilers can win games away from home, but over the last C game,” said Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock, who might also have said bunch of games, they can’t seem to win at their own arena, Rogers they have an F or an Inc. at home. But, they were light years better than Place. The question, of course, is why? Just another thing that’s in the they were in the lamentable loss to San Jose last Saturday. water?

“For whatever reason our A game is usually on the road with a high level Hockey beat writers Rob Tychkowski and Jim Matheson talk to host of intensity but at home … none of us coaches or even the players can Craig Ellingson about that and about the Oilers’ prospects of getting Top figure it out.” 4 defenceman Andrej Sekera back in the lineup soon, what it’ll mean and who they’ll have to move off the roster; about the winning ways of their Bryan Rust while killing a penalty to Tanner Pearson for gloving the puck farm team, the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL; and about former Oilers — a leaker that Mikko Koskinen didn’t cover on a wraparound — Blueger coach Dallas Eakins looking at getting another shot soon in the NHL. from the high slot and Jared McCann into an empty net had the Penguins goals as they try to hang in for a wild-card spot like the Oilers in the West. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.14.2019 “We can’t give up that short-handed goal, not good,” said McDavid, who expertly set up Draisaitl with Brian Dumoulin defending, and Draisaitl burying the shot for his 33rd goal. “Credit to them, they had that four- minute stretch and that was enough.

“Frustrating obviously. We played an A game and we have to find a way to get points.”

The Penguins needed the points as well, trying to hold off the Carolina Hurricanes for the final wild-card spot in the East.

“You’d like to be up by 10 points right now, but I also like it that these games mean something. This is what you play for,” said Crosby, after the Penguins moved to 67 points, three points clear of Carolina.

The Oilers, meanwhile, stayed at 53 points, six back of Minnesota for the second wild card, with Vancouver, Arizona, Chicago and Colorado ahead of them.

A LITTLE GAMESMANSHIP

Oscar Klefbom, who busted his pinky in mid December and returned four games ago, got slashed on the hand by Phil Kessel and went to the bench wincing in the first period but he shrugged it off.

FROM LATVIA WITH LOVE

Blueger, who ripped the second-period shot past Koskinen, was born Teodors Bluger in Riga but came to North America to play junior when he was 15 and played college hockey in Minnesota after being a second- round draft—the third highest drafted Latvian ever after Zemgus 1130665 Edmonton Oilers Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, who won six Stanley Cups — four with the Islanders dynasty and two in Pittsburgh — was at the rink for the morning skates and asked for an audience with McDavid. He had never met Not just offence that makes Sidney Crosby an NHL superstar before.

“I remember when I met Gordie Howe for the first time and how I felt and meeting Connor was exhilarating for me,” Trottier told former NHL VP Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Frank Brown, a long-time New York-based journalist before joining the league. February 13, 2019 9:30 PM MST Brown told Hitchcock Trottier wanted to see the Oiler captain.

“Tell him to come into the room,” said Hitchcock. PITTSBURGH — What can Connor McDavid learn from Sidney Crosby? “Trots wouldn’t. He stayed out in the hallway. That shows his humility,” It’s not how he’s wired with the puck, it’s how he deciphers the game said Brown. “He was the same as player. He would talk all day about when he doesn’t have it. Mike Bossy or , but never about himself. Drove me nuts as a “When the other team has the puck, Sid’s thinking is above everybody sportswriter.” else in this league,” said Edmonton Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock, an MALKIN SUSPENDED AGAINST OILERS assistant on a run of Canadian Olympic teams featuring Crosby. Evgeni Malkin was not in the lineup against the Oilers with his first “Look at the first three scoring chances the other night against suspension in his 13-year career. Philadelphia (Monday). He created those chances three different ways and on every one of them the Flyers defencemen had the puck. His He had been fined twice and had escaped possible disciplinary action anticipation when the opposition has it is so high … he knows where the from the league for a November high hit on T.J. Oshie. Malkin, who puck’s going ahead of time and can pick off passes. He creates so many swung his stick at Philly’s Michael Raffl, has 876 career penalty minutes, turnovers. which is fifth in Penguins history.

“And he also knows where people are located on the ice to turn that “That one-two (Crosby-Malkin) punch has always been hard to catch turnover into a soaring chances, like the first two goals Jake Guentzel got your breath (as a coach) because of the match-up problem. We’re a little in Philadelphia. bit happy he got one,” said Hitchcock.

“Second part for me was us watching the last part of that Flyer game SIX DEGREES where they had a six-on-four power play and Sid froze a really good player for 15 seconds along the half wall with his stick and body position Wayne Gretzky’s son Trevor, who used to be a pro baseball player but is to kill that power play. And Sid’s not out there all the time.” now an actor, is in a Howard Baldwin-produced hockey movie, “Odd Man Rush” and he has a scene with Mario Lemieux’s daughter Alexa. She’s Learned skill? Or is that in their DNA. currently a film student.

“I dunno. With the Olympic teams we’d be running a drill and Sid would Baldwin, the one-time owner of Hartford Whalers, has produced three go somewhere else and as coaches we’d say ‘what the heck, where’s he hockey movies—Mystery Alaska, Sudden Death which was filmed in going?’ He was practising plays that weren’t connected to the drill but in Pittsburgh and Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe story. the games they would pop up,” said Hitchcock.

So things for McDavid to watch. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.14.2019 “Connor sniffs out danger too offensively, but Sid also thinks it defensively. He’s got both going and Connor will get to that point as well,” said Hitchcock.

MEETING CROSBY A THRILL FOR MCDAVID

Half a dozen years ago, when McDavid was playing junior in Erie, two hours away, he was over the moon just getting his photo taken with Crosby, never mind play against him.

“I was 15 or 16 and one of other player’s billet had tickets to the game. he knew (Penguins assistant GM) Bill Guerin a bit, so we came down, got into the dressing room and met some guys. Meeting Sid was exciting for me and it’s funny to look back at that picture,” said McDavid, now 21, and 10 years younger than Crosby but the two best players in the world.

McDavid, playing against Crosby for the sixth time, wishes he was like Crosby around the net. He’s faster, for sure, but Crosby is a demon in tight.

“I see how strong he is down low, playing against him he’s so good on his skates, so stocky,” said McDavid. “He’s tough to knock off the puck, that’s a great quality.”

McDavid doesn’t see himself being able to replicate that skill-set.

“You want to incorporate as many good things as you can into your game and while I’m pretty strong on my skates, not to that level. I’ll never be as wide as him,” said McDavid.

If McDavid is frustrated by where the Oilers are in the standings, that’s understandable.

“When we lost in 2008 (finals to Detroit) I thought that was my only shot,” said Crosby. “Being young you put more pressure on yourself in general, regardless of winning or expectations and you have to go through certain things to learn. He’s learning on the fly and that’s normal but he’s done a great job and he’s continued to learn. Just takes time.”

TROTTIER THRILLED TO MEET MCDAVID 1130666 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 02.14.2019

Edmonton Oilers Game Day: Road trip begins in Pittsburgh

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal

February 13, 2019 3:00 AM MST

Five Things

1. SCHULTZ BACK TO SEE OLD FRIENDS

Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, who broke his left leg and needed surgery four months ago when he got tangled up with Tomas Plekanec, might play his first game since Oct. 13. He was hurt after recording four assists in four games, leaving a large hole in their second defence pairing and first PP unit. Schultz, who was traded to the Penguins for a third-round pick after struggling with the Oilers, has won two Cup rings since that deal.

2. TIME FOR KOSKINEN

The Oilers have started Cam Talbot three straight and four of five since Mikko Koskinen signed his three-year, $13.5 million deal, but after Edmonton’s loss to San Jose on Saturday, it’s time to go back to Koskinen. He last started in a 4-3 OT loss in Montreal Feb. 3 and his game has been trending downward since an unbelievable run at home in November and into mid-December. He has only won three of his last 12 decisions and has looked smaller than his six-foot-seven frame in the net.

3. TEST DRIVES CONTINUE ON TOP UNIT

Zack Kassian has scored in two straight, has six goals in his last 11 games, and now has eight goals on the year. He’ll get a whirl on right- wing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the No.1 line with Ty Rattie out with a bruised foot after blocking a shot by San Jose’s Tim Heed on Saturday. Coach Ken Hitchcock says he wants some physicality there and Kassian provides that. How long it lasts is anybody’s guess, because Hitchcock also likes Alex Chiasson with McDavid and Draisaitl.

4. PENS POWER PLAY: FEAST OR FAMINE

The Penguins have the seventh-best power play in the league but they also have given up the most shorthanded goals (12), which means they can get a little lazy with the man advantage. The SH goals against have been cause for much angst from coach Mike Sullivan, who had two defencemen on each power play unit against the Flyers Monday rather than four forwards and one D. But the Oilers’ PK is 30th, so the puck doesn’t get out of their zone much to create any shorthanded opportunities.

5. NO MALKIN

The Oilers, who have had seven straight one-goal games with Penguins, caught a break when Evgeni Malkin was suspended for a game for swinging his stick at Michael Raffl’s head in Philadelphia Monday. Raffl had punched Malkin in the back of his head and Malkin took a swing and grazed Raffl’s helmet. He got a match penalty and after a phone hearing Tuesday was given the suspension. The Oilers haven’t beaten the Penguins in regulation since Jan. 10, 2006, when Shawn Horcoff got a hat-trick and then Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien blasted his team’s lazy defence.

Big Match-up

CONNOR MCDAVID VS. SIDNEY CROSBY

This game is on NBC’s Wednesday night rivalry series for a reason and not because the Oilers and Penguins will be meeting in the Cup final. It’s because it pits one of the top 10 players of all-time, Crosby, who has three Stanley Cup rings and 1,181 career points (917 games) with the Penguins even though he has missed 100 games with concussion issues half a dozen years ago, against the game’s most dynamic player, McDavid, who has a Hart and two scoring titles at 21. McDavid, who had eight shots last time the teams played against each other, is third in NHL scoring with 80 points. He has had three straight 80-point seasons, the first Oiler to do that since did it from 1985-1990. Crosby, who got the overtime winner in Edmonton in October, slipping around Ryan Strome, has 65 points. 1130667 Edmonton Oilers But even if the NHL results are quite a bit worse than that, the news won’t be all bad.

The Oilers still own their first-round pick this summer, which is not Taking stock of Oilers positives as they enter the final third of a dismal something every draft lottery team can say. The Edmonton market is 2018-19 season understandably sick of being sold hope in the form of first-round draft picks, but on their current trajectory the Oilers will have a shot at Peyton Krebs at least, if not Bowen Byram or perhaps even Jack Hughes if the By Jonathan Willis lottery balls tumble fortunately once again.

Feb 13, 2019 Moreover, there is no immediate prospect of the roster getting a lot worse.

Edmonton’s cap liabilities are a matter of public record, but the end of When facing a monumental challenge, it can be helpful to first take stock another season moves the Oilers one year closer to being done with of one’s assets, however meagre they might be. This is certainly true for them, and in some cases eases no-trade or no-move restrictions Edmonton, a hockey team in deep disarray which has already fired its negotiated by Chiarelli. The team has no restricted free agents due coach and its general manager this season. massive raises and no stars rapidly approaching free agency. The Oilers lost again on Saturday, and did it convincingly. San Jose took Beyond that, the Oilers farm team is laying waste to the AHL. Twelve a 2-0 lead in the first and ended up outshooting Edmonton 31-23 and straight wins have pushed the Condors into first place in their division. At cruising to a 5-2 victory. It is Edmonton’s seventh loss in its last eight every position, the team is getting substantial contributions from games and the team is 7-14-3 over the last two calendar months as its prospects, from Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody up front to Caleb year has gone off the rails. Jones, Ethan Bear and William Lagesson on the back end. Jones, who The result has been that the Oilers have lost ground in the Western turtle has seven points in seven games since being returned from NHL recall, derby. This writing finds them six points back of the final playoff berth. has been particularly impressive. Resurgent teams in St. Louis and Chicago have made major gains on All five are pushing for NHL employment, and that’s without touching on Edmonton. Even bubble teams treading water, like Minnesota, older prospects with the potential to be cheap fourth-liners (like Patrick Vancouver and Arizona are moving ahead of the Oilers’ sinking pace. Russell or Joseph Gambardella) or the good young players who aren’t That drop-off has also moved Edmonton closer to last place in the NHL. scoring at the moment (Kailer Yamamoto, Cameron Hebig) or the 24- Ottawa currently holds that post with 47 points, just six back of the Oilers. year-old goalie with the .920 save percentage (Shane Starrett). Thus the team finds itself as close to the bottom as it is to the playoffs. None of this is intended to downplay the Oilers problems in the present. This is frustrating, but the larger context makes the situation seem worse Despite top-end stars, the team lacks capable support pieces at all than it probably is. Edmonton has missed the playoffs in 11 of the past 12 positions and has significant cap liabilities. That’s not a new situation, seasons. The lone exception was 2016-17, and with the failure of that though: rewind to last February and the Oilers lacked capable support year’s blueprint and the dismissal of its architects it is easy to be sour pieces and had significant cap liabilities, too. about the Oilers. Things got a little bit worse because the Oilers were so patient with their That decade-plus is what makes Edmonton a punchline around the NHL. management group – thus the additions of Ryan Spooner, Brandon It’s what prompts sweeping narratives centred on concepts like culture Manning and Mikko Koskinen – but with Chiarelli gone and a caretaker and character. It’s the backdrop that CEO Bob Nicholson refers to when GM in place the team should be done with adding red ink to its books for he says “there’s something in the water.” a few months anyway.

Such fatalism is unhelpful. The next general manager is not bound to the Most of the damage had been inflicted much earlier, even in fact before fate of his predecessors, each of whom failed in his own unique way. Chiarelli was a finalist for GM of the Year in the summer of 2017. There’s always a lag between process and results, and another lag between In counting Edmonton’s current assets, a fresh start ranks high on the results and media consensus. list. It’s far too early to say the Oilers process has been fixed, but the team It’s all well and good as a pundit to shrug helplessly and murmur that now has freedom of action to pick a new GM who can institute needed ‘obviously, this goes beyond the general manager’ but firing the guy who change. That new manager will take over a team with many problems, turned Taylor Hall and Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle into merely but also with no immediate crises to handle, a farm team stocked with Adam Larsson and a dead cap hit is a helluva starting point. good prospects and a pick likely to be in the upper reaches of the 2019 draft. For more than three years the Oilers were sabotaged by a GM who misfired on nearly every major trade and free agent signing he made. Combine those considerable assets with Connor McDavid, Leon The losing which followed was not caused by some inexplicable mystery Draisaitl, Oscar Klefbom and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the situation or divine disfavour or wretched luck. It was the obvious and inevitable could be much worse than it is. consequence of the mismanagement which preceded it.

Now that’s over, or at least that should be over. Nicholson has the advantage of months and Daryl Katz’s vast resources at his disposal as The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 he contemplates Chiarelli’s successor. Given those assets there is no reason for the team to get its next hire wrong.

In the meantime, there is upside regardless of which direction the Oilers go over the remaining third of the season.

The best-case scenario would see a course correction that puts the team back on a playoff footing. Not only do the playoffs have value as a goal in and of themselves, but they say something about the team, too. Strong performances from, say, Mikko Koskinen and Andrej Sekera would leave the Oilers in a much better position entering the offseason than weak ones would.

But it’s pretty unlikely. On Tuesday Ken Hitchcock spoke to the media about needing four points out of every three-game stretch. It’s an accurate assessment of the team’s playoff hopes, but it equates to playing 109-point hockey over the final third of the year. It will take quite a stretch for the Oilers to go from where they are now to that. 1130668 Florida Panthers

Preview: Flames at Panthers, 7 p.m., Thursday

Wells Dusenbury

South Florida Sun Sentinel

Flames at Panthers

When/where: 7 p.m./BB&T Center

TV: Fox Sports Florida; Radio: 560-AM; 640-AM (Palm Beach)

Scouting report: After winning six out of eight, the Panthers have lost their past two games. … Florida is coming off a 3-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. … That marked the team’s first shut out defeat this season. … The Panthers (23-24-8) are 11 points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. … Florida still has five games remaining on this homestand before hitting the road. … The Flames (34-15-6) are second in the Pacific Division. … Johnny Gaudreau leads Calgary with 75 points (29 goals, 46 assists), while Sean Monahan has 63 (27 goals, 36 assists).

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130669 Los Angeles Kings

Kings' Carl Hagelin knows he may be dealt before NHL's trading deadline

By CURTIS ZUPKE

FEB 13, 2019 | 5:35 PM

This time of the year is both familiar and new for Carl Hagelin.

He knows what it’s like to have his career and life suddenly change with a phone call. He has been traded three times, to the Ducks in 2015, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and to the Kings in November.

But none of those trades occurred at the trade deadline, and Hagelin is aware that he could check off that box before the clock strikes noon on Feb. 25.

“I think I’ve been in the league long enough to know what’s going on this time of year,” Hagelin said. “I’ve never been traded, myself, at the deadline. But I think if you’re a UFA [unrestricted free agent] without a contract for next year, there’s always a chance or risk of getting traded. But right now I’m just focused on playing my best hockey here and trying to climb back with this team.”

Hagelin is a targeted rental player because of an expiring contract that the Kings can shed after they acquired him for Tanner Pearson. He’s highly attractive to a contender as a penalty killer with speed at left wing and a proven performer in the spring. Hagelin has played 121 playoff games, with 22 goals and 25 assists.

“I’ve played a lot of playoff hockey in my career,” he said. “I usually play my best hockey in the second half of the year. That’s just how it is. [But] I like it a lot here. Great guys on the team and we just need to get some wins.”

If the Kings move Hagelin, it would happen just as the 30-year-old has found some identity with Adrian Kempe and Ilya Kovalchuk. They combined for six goals and seven assists on the just-completed six-game stint away from home.

“It’s easy for me to play with him, especially since he creates a lot of chances for me, and me for him as well,” Kempe said.

Hagelin wouldn’t mind seeing where that chemistry goes. It’s understandable if he’s wary of another career move. He has a baby daughter, and the family took a trip to Palm Springs during the bye week. It was the type of local outing that Hagelin didn’t really have time for during his half-season with the Ducks.

Hagelin is realistic, though, and it got his attention when teammate and fellow free-agent-to-be Nate Thompson was traded Monday.

“This situation, more than any other, I know I’m a UFA,” Hagelin said. “I know we’re on a team where guys have already been traded. I think all the other times, I haven’t really been aware of the fact that I’m going to get traded. Here, you never know. We need to start winning, and that’s the bottom line. I definitely don’t look into it too much, because I know if it happens, it happens.”

Etc.

Coach Willie Desjardins indicated he might tinker with the top two lines after some different looks in drills.

“We’re looking at some different things today,” Desjardins said. “Lots of units have played well, and sometimes you just try different things. You want to see what a different combination will [do]. Maybe it’ll spark guys.”

Jeff Carter (lower-body injury) practiced briefly and Desjardins said that “it was good that he was out [on the ice] as long as he was.”

The Beijing Jr. Kings skated with the Kings as part of their visit to Southern California. The affiliation began upon the Kings’ trip to China in 2017. It is the first youth development program run by the Kings outside Los Angeles.

LA Times: LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130670 Los Angeles Kings Forwards Tyler Toffoli and Adrian Kempe had seven points apiece on the just-concluded six-game road trip, during which the Kings went 3-2-1. … The Kings scored 18 goals in the six games, an average of 3.6. The Kings’ Trevor Lewis thrilled to be back after three ‘frustrating’ months Kings are averaging just 2.39 goals on the season, with only Anaheim (2.21) worse. … After Thursday, the Kings host Boston on Saturday and Washington on Monday before heading out on a four-game road trip at Nashville, Florida, Tampa Bay and Carolina. By ROBERT MORALES | [email protected] | Press Telegram

PUBLISHED: February 13, 2019 at 2:39 pm | UPDATED: February 13, 2019 at 2:39 PM Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.14.2019

EL SEGUNDO — Trevor Lewis didn’t know what it was like to miss three months of a season, because he never had an injury that kept him out that long. Until this season.

The forward on Monday night returned to action with the Kings after not having played since Nov. 13 because of a fractured foot. The Kings lost 6-4 at Washington, but Lewis had an assist and wore a smile on his face after practice Wednesday suggesting he got a lot more than that out of it.

“Yeah, it was great,” said Lewis, whose team will host the Vancouver Canucks at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Staples Center. “I mean, first of all just to go on the road with the guys again, kind of get that little bonding and, yeah, obviously, it’s been a while since I’ve been in a game and it’s nice to just be out there with the guys and competing again and getting that adrenaline. It’s fun.”

It certainly wasn’t fun missing 38 consecutive games. Brutal would be a better way to describe that, Lewis suggested.

“Yeah, it sucks,” said Lewis, 32. “It’s really frustrating, especially being out that long and watching so many games and knowing you can’t be out there helping; that’s the frustrating part.

“Obviously, you don’t see the guys as much. Luckily, I had two kids at home to keep me busy. So that was good. But, yeah, it’s definitely frustrating. And I mean, I don’t like watching at all, especially when you should be out there. I’m just happy to be back now.”

From the sound of it, interim coach Willie Desjardins is also happy Lewis is back. At one point, Lewis had a setback in his recovery. He was not deterred.

“I think he’s a great teammate,” Desjardins said. “He showed during his injury how hard he worked to get back and I think whenever you have good habits, you want everybody to get those habits. So I think he’s a good teammate. He does things the right way; he’s a very good professional.”

Lewis has never been a big scorer. His highest point total is 26, which came this past season. But he does a lot for a team.

“When you talk on the ice, I think he’s a guy that works hard every shift; you know you’re going to get everything you can out of him,” Desjardins said. “He can kind of give you different roles. He’s a good penalty-killer.”

Lewis kind of laughed about that, noting his first shift Monday was on the penalty-kill.

“It was a tough one to start with,” said Lewis, who said he felt good for his first game back. “But other than that, I was playing with Cliffy (Kyle Clifford) and Wags (Austin Wagner) and they’re two hard workers that keep it simple and I thought we actually played pretty well.”

Lewis assisted on one of Wagner’s two goals that night.

Scouting the Canucks

The Kings (23-28-5, 51 points) are eight points out of a playoff berth with 26 games to play. With 57 points before its game Wednesday at Anaheim, Vancouver is one of the other five teams currently out of the Western Conference playoff picture the Kings must pass if they are to somehow make the postseason.

The Canucks are led offensively by forward Elias Pettersson, who leads the team with 25 goals and 26 assists (51 points).

The Kings and Vancouver have split two games this season. The Canucks defeated the Kings 4-2 on Nov. 24 at Staples Center. The Kings came back three days later and won 2-1 in overtime at Vancouver.

This and that 1130671 Los Angeles Kings The fun didn’t stop there. We had to know what was said to Forbort after arriving back on the bench immediately after the sexiest assist of his 229 games to date. “What the [—-] was that?” he shared.

FORBORT AS WHITE CHOCOLATE, FANTENBERG’S “I just knew he was driving to the net,” Forbort said. “I got lucky that it hit OPPORTUNITY, INGHAM’S GROWTH, MORE his tape and went in like that, but that just seemed like the fastest route to get the puck back into the scoring area.”

JON ROSEN Forbort’s key strengths lie in his mobility and his ability to use an excellent stick and a long wingspan to disrupt plays and passes while FEBRUARY 13, 2019 defending the rush and in defensive zone coverage. He’s not a player generally associated with jumping into the play. But just as Matt Greene

showed with goals against St. Louis in the playoffs in 2012 and at home INSIDERS. A happy Wednesday to you and yours. The LA Kings against Florida early in the 2014-15 season, even defensive-minded convened on the Toyota Sports Center ice at 10:00 a.m., and though forwards with Grand Forks roots can pick their spots once in a while. And there weren’t actual line rushes, there were groupings that suggested Forbort also nearly jumped for a second time in the game, seizing an that some changes could be in the works when the Kings host the opportunity at the end of a penalty kill to sprint towards the attacking end Vancouver Canucks tomorrow night at Staples Center on Sean during what appeared to be a developing breakaway, but no pass was O’Donnell’s Legends Night. Tyler Toffoli was situated to the right of Anze issued. Kopitar for several drills, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re paired “It was a good play, and I think Derek’s been playing well,” Desjardins together during a seven-game span in which Toffoli has five goals and said. “He’s been giving us more offense. The strength of his game and nine points. Kopitar and Dustin Brown were on the ice for three even what we need out of him is to defend, and he’s done a good job strength goals against an none for; Iafallo was on the ice for four even defending, but lately his feet have been moving as well, and he’s been strength goals against and one for. getting in the play, so it’s been good.” “We’re looking at some different things today,” Willie Desjardins said. Drew Doughty is Drew Doughty and is among the most intuitive players “Lots of units have played well, and sometimes you just try different in positioning and reading and relieving pressure from his defensive things. You want to see what a different combination will [do] – maybe it’ll partner, and that doesn’t even begin to describe his multi-dimensional all- spark guys. Somebody goes on a line, it’ll spark them, it gives another world play that includes the same understanding of when to jump in as guy a different role on a different line. But I know for us to be successful, an extra man on the attack. you need all our lines going, and my job is just to try to get the most out of everybody, and that’s the challenge sometimes. Sometimes moving “Playing with Dewey, I always kind of stay back a little bit and let him get guys around helps a little bit. It doesn’t mean it’s permanent. It just up in the rush. We’ve kind of worked well in that sense, but he’s been on means you’re trying it out to see how it looks.” me on getting up on the rush myself. I think his legs get a little tired doing it all the time,” he said. Notes! “I pick my spots, but it’s just about reading the play. I don’t want to be the –Jeff Carter skated on his own prior to practice and lingered on the ice as guy who’s too aggressive and giving up two-on-ones back the other the full-team skate got underway. This represents a modest step forward way.” from his solo laps in Boston, but he’s still a little ways away, as Desjardins had previously noted. Don’t expect him to play Thursday, and Forbort isn’t a gifted offensive player – hence the expletives when he Saturday seems unlikely. Should we talk Monday? Let’s talk Monday. returned to the bench – but has still been encouraged to cautiously pick times to jump in. The Kings are looking for offense without sacrificing –As a bit of a rink rat, Oscar Fantenberg is someone hard to pry from the their structure, and if the situation calls for it, Forbort has that green light ice on practice days. With the way he’s been playing recently, he’s also to do so. been hard to prevent from going over the boards every third shift. “I think it’s just getting comfortable and reading the times,” Desjardins Fantenberg has logged at least 19 minutes for five straight games, his said. “A lot of times he’s with Drew and Drew was always going, so he’s longest stretch of such usage this season. After Jake Muzzin’s trade to more of the safe guy back there a little bit. For him, too, he’s just got to Toronto, he’s played the right side on the second defensive pairing, with read when the opportunities are there, and he has been more involved Alec Martinez moving back to the left. With goals in each of the last two lately.” games, 13 shots in his last five and possession and shot rates in the black during the six-game road trip, he’s provided quality minutes during –After posting a 3-0-0-0 record with a 1.26 goals-against average, a .956 a period of widened opportunity. save percentage and by virtue of a 6-for-6 shootout performance that included an impressive scorpion save, Kings goaltending prospect Jacob “It’s nice when they go in, especially when you’ve been working on that Ingham was named the OHL’s Player of the Week. for a while and you get results,” he said. “I was talking about it the other day. I want to create more offense for the team and jump into the rush Ingham is 22-19-2-1 on the season with a 3.23 GAA and an .896 Sv%, and be a threat up there, too. Luckily they went in the last two games.” numbers that are improvements from those he posted a year ago and completely respectable in the offensively minded Ontario Hockey Playing his off-side reprises the duties of picking the puck up from the League, where only five goalies with more than 20 games played this walls with his backhand, but it also allows him to walk the blue line and season have GAAs under three. fake a shot to open up lanes with better comfort. It also allows him to tee up the one-timer – which is how he scored his goals against Boston and Impressively, the 2018 sixth rounder has logged 2,617 minutes – more Washington. than any other OHL goalie and the fourth most minutes in major junior hockey this season. That regularity has helped him build consistency for “Marty’s been feeding me one-timers for the last couple games, and I a Mississauga team coached by a former member of the Kings think it’s nice when it’s finally paid off there,” he said. “That’s the thing – development staff, James Richmond. when you get a little bit of time and space when the forwards are a little bit low and my D-partner has the puck, he can feed me for the one-timer. “The beginning of the year he was having a rough go, and after that, I It’s hard for the forward to be in the lane because it happens so past and think his playing time has been the biggest thing for him,” Dusty Imoo, it’s the wrong way to go, that shooting lane, because everybody’s so Goaltending Development said. “Regardless of win, lose or draw, J.R. is good being in shooting lanes, so if you don’t shoot a one-timer, they’re throwing him back in there, and over this amount of time, I would take going to be in the lane and take away the shot, and I’m just lucky they less credit as that he has just settled, and I think he over time is just went in.” developing more consistency.”

–Derek Forbort is a big basketball fan, so when LAKI suggested that his Imoo noted that early conversations with Ingham were just to “settle him no-look, between-the-legs pass to set up Austin Wagner for a goal was down” after a rocky start. Because Ingham was a highly thought of reminiscent of Jason Williams, circa 1999, the defenseman was well goaltender entering the OHL, are there any similarities between him and aware of the reference even if he was six years old when White Jack Campbell, who also has good size and has had to play alongside Chocolate debuted in Sacramento. “Number 55,” he said. the lofty expectations set for him? “I don’t know if it’s the same, but one thing that’s similar with guys that people have high expectations for, pressure is put upon yourself from yourself, and that’s similar,” Imoo said. “Especially when you’re that young and things don’t go well, things can really go south quickly, and that’s kind of what happened with him – I think he put way too much pressure on himself.”

Ingham has a .925 save percentage since January 19 for a Steelheads team that sits in fifth place in the 10-team Eastern Conference with a 26- 21-5-1 record.

–I’ll have more on Vancouver tomorrow, but they’re playing in Anaheim tonight, where Jacob Markstrom will return to action after missing Monday’s home game against San Jose due to back spasms.

Because there were no other healthy goaltenders on NHL contracts, the Canucks were pressed into recalling 19-year-old goalie Michael DiPietro from OHL-Ottawa on an emergency basis for Monday’s home game against San Jose. That’s a very tall task for a rookie currently playing major junior, and DiPietro, a former champ who posted standout numbers at the World Junior Championship for Canada this past year, allowed a Timo Meier goal on the first shot he faced and seven total goals on 24 shots.

Vancouver was pressed into acquiring some goaltending depth because of such depletion, and yesterday acquired Marek Mazanec from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2020 seventh round draft pick. Via Jeff Paterson of TSN 1040, Mazanec will back Markstrom up tonight against the Ducks; there’s no word yet on who will start at Staples Center tomorrow. Mazanec, 27, is 8-13-4 with a 2.98 GAA and an .895 Sv% over 31 career appearances with Nashville from 2013-17. He has a 3.01 GAA and .903 Sv% with AHL-Hartford this season.

The Canucks are currently without the services of goalie , center Brandon Sutter, forward Sven Baertschi and defenseman Alex Edler, all of whom are on injured reserve.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130672 Minnesota Wild Boudreau’s recent comments shine a bright light on his frustration. He seems almost apoplectic over his veterans’ inability to snap out of their funk. Bruce Boudreau shouldn't be the Wild's fall guy ... for however the A playoff trip remains possible, but the invisibles need to reappear and season turns out start scoring goals and play with desperation. Boudreau can’t snap his fingers and make that happen. That’s on them. FEBRUARY 14, 2019 — 12:42AM Meanwhile, Fenton is quietly observing and taking notes. His offseason presumably will be busy. In the best case, there will be alignment in CHIP SCOGGINS CHIP SCOGGINS @CHIPSCOGGINS vision between the new general manager and the veteran coach he inherited. Coaching isn’t the reason behind a slumping team or a concern looking forward. It’s a roster that needs more than tweaks. Poor Bruce Boudreau. He looks and sounds like he has a bad case of Wild Weary. Star Tribune LOADED: 02.14.2019 It’s an affliction that has hit previous Wild coaches, stripped of their last drop of patience by a roster that performs to hot-and-cold extremes. Coaching the Wild must be exhausting mentally. Boudreau appears exasperated by the latest tailspin. He called a 4-1 loss to Edmonton last week “sort of the last straw.” He criticized veterans who have performed a disappearing act as being “a shell of the players that I’ve known for 2½ years.” “Pretty unforgivable” is how he described a ghastly line change that resulted in a goal in a 5-4 collapse to Philadelphia on Tuesday. Somewhere, Mike Yeo takes a sip of beer and mutters, “Amen brother.” However this season plays out — whether it is playoffs or April tee times — new Wild General Manager Paul Fenton shouldn’t make Boudreau the scapegoat for a lineup that plays hockey as if it’s a chore. A look at the NHL standings by division, conference and wild card races. At some point, the onus should fall on players and roster construction. Boudreau is a good coach who appears to be out of answers but still searching for ways to spark a lethargic group. Where is the desperation? The urgency? Maybe Boudreau should steal Yeo’s meltdown material and smash his stick and scream “whoop-de-do.” The NHL’s Western Conference is so pedestrian that the Wild, remarkably, remains in the final wild-card spot despite hitting snooze repeatedly since the All-Star break. There is still roughly one-third of the season left, so the Wild technically isn’t down to its last straw. It just feels that way. Everyone is angry — coaches, players, fans. It’s a bad spot right now. Fenton faces a considerable task in reconstructing the roster this offseason. Not tweaks. We’re talking an overhaul. A transformation. A brand new look. He should keep the status quo at coach, though. The NHL cycles through coaches like a factory assembly line, but constantly changing coaches isn’t always the right answer. Fenton’s private thoughts on Boudreau aren’t known, but generally speaking, new GMs prefer to pick their own coach. That’s just how professional sports tend to work. Boudreau wasn’t Fenton’s hire, and he has only one year left on his deal, which is a tenuous starting point for any coach. The Wild’s inconsistent season hasn’t helped matters, and this post-All-Star break malaise has been infuriating. Boudreau’s coaching isn’t a problem, though. He’s tried every motivational tactic in search of something that might shake players out of their doldrums. He’s shuffled line combinations like a Vegas card dealer and incorporated Fenton’s midseason acquisitions in key roles. Nothing has ignited a hot streak. Losing defenseman Matt Dumba and captain Mikko Koivu to season- ending injuries was a Mike Tyson punch to the midsection. Their absences leave voids not capable of being adequately filled by their replacements. But every team deals with injuries to varying degree. The more nagging issue is that the Wild’s best players have collectively disappeared. Eric Staal, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle are all having disappointing seasons. They’re not producing nearly enough and have been invisible some games. Only Zach Parise has performed to his standards among the core forwards. A team usually can compensate for a key player who underperforms. Not an entire group of them, on top of the injury situation. 1130673 Minnesota Wild The colors on goalie pads can be tweaked, and masks can be wrapped in a different theme.

“The equipment guys are the unsung heroes of the team,” Hunt said. Wild equipment managers thrown into high gear this time of year Aside from overseeing gear needs, the staff can also set the tone for a player’s introduction to the Wild — acting as an unofficial welcoming By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune committee since DaCosta is among the first from the team to touch base with newbies. FEBRUARY 13, 2019 — 8:59PM “[If] your first impression when you meet the trainers is a really good one,” coach Bruce Boudreau said, “then you’re already comfortable.” After the Wild finalized a postgame trade with the Golden Knights Jan. And making the adjustment as smooth as possible is the equipment 21, the process to acclimate newly acquired defenseman Brad Hunt staff’s objective. began before the team even left the airport in Las Vegas. “It’s tough to be traded,” DaCosta said. “So I’m pushing on the General Manager Paul Fenton relayed what number Hunt wanted to companies to go as fast you can because I want to look good for this wear to head equipment manager Tony DaCosta after chatting with Hunt, player — that we’re taking care of him. It doesn’t matter who it is. That’s and DaCosta e-mailed Exclusive Pro Sports, an Illinois-based company your job.” that customizes the Wild’s jerseys, to request a No. 77 sweater. He also called his counterpart with the Golden Knights to get Hunt’s Short takes specifications for his gear — all before the airplane took off for Denver. • The Ducks will make their second and final regular-season visit to Xcel Two days later, when Hunt showed up at Pepsi Center for his team debut Energy Center next week, and they’ll have a different face behind the against the Colorado Avalanche, a jersey was waiting for him. bench than the last time they were in St. Paul. After dismissing coach Randy Carlyle Sunday, General Manager Bob Murray announced that he “They try to make you feel at home,” Hunt said. “My experience here has would take over Carlyle’s duties — an unusual move for someone who’s been fantastic.” never coached pro hockey but one that makes sense for a beleaguered Anaheim squad. Promoting Dallas Eakins from the American Hockey With less than two weeks to go before the NHL trade deadline, the League could alter the chemistry of a team that’s doing well in the hockey world will be focused on the GMs orchestrating the deals and the minors, and getting a front-row seat to the Ducks’ struggles could help players switching teams. Murray’s maneuvering as he searches for solutions for a team that’s had losing streaks of 12 and seven games. But these in-season transitions wouldn’t be possible without equipment staffs outfitting NHLers with what they need to represent their new • Boston will be without leading point-getter David Pastrnak for at least squads, behind-the-scenes shuffling that’s essential to keeping the two weeks after he underwent surgery on his left thumb. But Pastrnak league operating on schedule. didn’t suffer the injury in a game or during practice. He was hurt falling while walking to his transportation after a sponsorship dinner Sunday, a “People don’t see the work they put in to make us happy,” Hunt said, “to tough accident as the Bruins attempt to hold onto the third seed in the make us be able to do what we do.” Atlantic Division. Hunt is among four players the Wild has brought in so far this season, a • Sharks center Joe Thornton rewrote the NHL record book Monday, spike in arrivals from what DaCosta has become accustomed to in the surpassing Gordie Howe to rank ninth in league history in assists with last handful of years. 1,050. Thornton also logged his 1,541 regular-season game, moving by And with more change possible, the staff is on alert but doesn’t need to Shane Doan and Johnny Bucyk for 15th place and with 1,457 points, the change its preparation since it’s primed to handle roster turnover at any 39-year-old tied Teemu Selanne for 15th in NHL history. time.

“They’re ready for you, and they usually have answers to every Star Tribune LOADED: 02.14.2019 question,” veteran Matt Hendricks said. “If they don’t, they’ll get it immediately.” It’s easier to maneuver at home, but the Wild travels all season long with the essentials to welcome in someone new while on the road. It has two extra bags, half a dozen pants in different sizes, a variety of gloves and blank jerseys along with name and number kits. Rarely, though, do assistant equipment managers Rick Bronwell and Matt Benz have to sew those details onto a player’s jersey. Usually, the team can have a sweater mailed in from Exclusive Pro Sports on time — barring it’s not a weekend when shipping is difficult. The company has a batch of Wild jerseys already on hand and once it knows the number, it can expedite the production. “I want to get their number right away … because I want to get that rolling as fast as I can,” DaCosta said. Once a trade is completed, a player’s equipment rep will typically reach out to DaCosta to let him know preferences, but he also gets that insight from the player’s previous team since equipment managers share helmet and jersey sizes, skate measurements, whether a player needs more sticks ordered and what’s in his hockey bag. “We do as much as we can without bugging the player,” DaCosta said. Players keep their protective gear and once the staff opens their bags, it begins subbing out former team items — like T-shirts — for new ones. Since most NHLers skate with customized equipment, they usually debut with stock sizes the team carries for gloves and pants until their individualized pieces arrive in team colors — typically in a week to 10 days. “We just have to get you on the ice,” DaCosta said. White helmets are reusable, but DaCosta doesn’t like putting shells over pants to cover up a former organization’s colors. And he doesn’t spray paint gloves. 1130674 Montreal Canadiens injury, has 5-15-20 totals and is plus-6 in 40 games while averaging 22:01 of ice time.

The Predators acquired 6-foot-6, 245-pound centre Brian Boyle from the Canadiens Notebook: Predators coach is impressed by Habs' speed New Jersey Devils on Feb. 6 in exchange for a second-round pick at this year’s NHL Draft. Boyle is still looking for his first point with the Predators after playing four games with them. STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE “There’s a lot to like about his game from the size, his physicality, his Updated: February 13, 2019 usage inside of the lineup, whether it be power play or penalty kill or a checking role or faceoffs, so there’s a lot that he brings to the table,” Laviolette said about the 12-year NHL veteran. “His leadership, his experience.” NASHVILLE — Nashville Predators coach is impressed by the Canadiens’ speed this season. Boyle’s wife, Lauren, and their two young children have already joined him in Nashville. “They’re a fast team,” Laviolette said after the Predators practised Wednesday at the Centennial Sportsplex ahead of Thursday night’s “I can’t be away from my family,” Boyle said after practice Wednesday. “It game against the Canadiens at the Bridgestone Arena (8 p.m., TSN2, wouldn’t be worth it for me. My wife’s a great organizer in getting stuff RDS, TSN 690 Radio). “They play the game fast.” done. We’re already into a house right now. Thursday’s game will be the second and final meeting between these two “As a professional, you understand you have to block all that stuff out,” teams this season after the Predators beat the Canadiens 4-1 at the Bell the 34-year-old said. “You’re not really allowed to think too much about it Centre on Jan. 5. The Canadiens have a 31-18-7 record and hold the because if you do, you’re wasting time because you need to learn a new first wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Predators system, get to know the guys on a team that just gave up an asset to get have a 33-21-5 record and are in second place in the Western you. That’s the hard part. The fun part is you’ve just been given an Conference’s Central Division. opportunity in a lot of cases to move on to a place where it’s a great opportunity and expectation for a playoff run. There’s a lot that goes into “We went up there, we played a pretty good game against them,” it. There’s a lot of emotions and there’s only 24 hours in the day, so you Laviolette said about the victory last month. “We were coming off of a got to try to manage it.” tough game (a 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings) and I thought the response by our group was really good. So I’ve only seen them live Boyle is a big country-music fan and his sister Gabrielle, one of 12 the one time and I thought we played a pretty good game. But they’ve got children in his family, already lives in Nashville and is working to become good young pieces that are fast, good goaltending, good defence. They a singer and song-writer. move the puck quick and they push the pace and push the offence.” “Our whole family is country-music listeners,” he said. “We enjoy it, so it’s The Predators are once again coming off a loss to the Red Wings before a cool spot to live. facing the Canadiens after dropping a 3-2 decision to Detroit Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators are 0-2-1 in their last three “I love Eric Church,” Boyle added. “He’s incredible. But I like a lot of games. them. Kenny Chesney comes up to Boston a lot. We see him a lot and it’s tons of fun. The older guys, George Strait, Johnny Cash — it’s always “There’s 10 different things that could have helped us or made us better,” awesome listening to that.” Laviolette said about his team’s slump. “It could have been a faceoff, it could have been a power play, a penalty kill, a better third period, an There’s always a great atmosphere at the Bridgestone Arena, where opportunity that goes in the net instead of not going in the net. So there’s there is always a sea of yellow with fans wearing Predators jerseys. a bunch of little things I think that can happen. There were also a lot of Red Wings jerseys in the crowd for Tuesday night’s game and afterwards at Tootsies, the legendary country-music “I’m always pretty honest with you guys,” the coach added. “This is just bar on Broadway St. my opinion, we did a lot of good things in the last two games and the results didn’t come our way. When the process isn’t right, you know me, “How long has the team been here? 20 years,” Boyle said. “So it’s done a I’ll stand in front of you and I’ll tell you that. People might not agree with great job of becoming a hockey town because the crowd and the fans. my opinion, either. I think that’s what happens when you watch sports. Every time I’ve come in here, it’s been a crazy barn, loud, lots of energy, There are definitely things that we looked at today that we tried to clean lots of passion for the game. They’ve put a good product on the ice for a up. Definitely in the areas that we can be better. But we’re going to go number of years, which is great. The fans are coming and it’s an out there as a confident group tomorrow and try to win a hockey game important part of the city now. You know what, you play wherever. and try to be better than we were last game.” There’s good crowds and bad crowds, wherever you go you have to do your job. But it certainly helps when you know the crowd’s behind you.“ Wednesday was a travel day for the Canadiens as they left the snowstorm in Montreal behind and flew to Nashville, where the Boyle added that Nashville would rank among the top road cities for most temperature in the afternoon was 12C with sunny skies. NHL players. Not on the flight to Nashville was forward Michael Chaput, who cleared “It’s right up there … one of the top ones,” he said. “Top 3-5, for sure. NHL waivers on Wednesday and was assigned to the AHL’s . “I’ve seen Tootsies and what it has to offer,” he added. In 32 games with the Canadiens, Chaput had no goals and five assists to What’s next? go along with a minus-4 while averaging 11:13 of ice time and winning The Canadiens will fly to Tampa after Thursday night’s game and 50.8 per cent of his faceoffs. In 18 games earlier this season with the practice at 2 p.m. Friday at Amalie Arena before facing the Lightning on Rocket, Chaput had 7-3-10 totals and was minus-2. Saturday (7 p.m., SNE, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). The The Canadiens will have a morning skate at 11:30 a.m. local time Canadiens will be back in action Sunday when they visit the Florida Thursday at the Bridgestone Arena. Panthers (7 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Thursday’s game will not only be a homecoming of sorts for Canadiens The Canadiens will fly back to Montreal on Monday and face the captain Shea Weber, it will also be the 900th regular-season game of his Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., NHL career. TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Weber spent his first 11 seasons with the Predators before getting traded to the Canadiens in exchange for P.K. Subban on June 29, 2016. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 “He’s a big part of this franchise and this organization,” Laviolette said about Weber. “Just presence alone. For so many years, whether it be off the ice or on the ice, he was a terrific leader, terrific player and a terrific role model for our team, for our city. So there was a lot of positives about Shea.” In 21 games this season after recovering from foot and knee surgeries, Weber has 9-12-21 totals and is plus-16 while averaging a team-high 24:12 of ice time. Subban, who has missed time with an upper-body 1130675 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019

Analyze This: Kudos to Claude Julien for unleashing Canadiens' offence

MARC DUMONT, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE Updated: February 13, 2019

We’ve almost reached the three quarter-mark of the NHL season and there’s no doubt the Canadiens, along with the New York Islanders, are the surprise teams of the year. When you think of head coach Claude Julien’s modus operandi, the first thing that probably comes to mind is his obsession with playing a sound defensive game. And while the Canadiens aren’t remotely close to the worst defensive team in the league, they’re not among the NHL’s elite when it comes to how many shots or scoring chances they allow. However, they’ve more than compensated for their defensive woes with their ability to sustain a constant flow of offence. The Canadiens rank second in the NHL in shots per 60 minutes, sixth in scoring chances per 60 and seventh in goals per 60. To get an idea of their massive improvement in those areas, last season they ranked 13th in shots per 60, 18th in scoring chances per 60 and a pitiful 30th in goals per 60. While the Canadiens were probably a better team than their results indicated last season, they simply could not attain any level of reasonable offence. The outcome ended up being great when we consider the team was rewarded for its failure with the third overall pick, and the rest is history. One of the main reasons the Canadiens have been able to sustain a high level of offence this season is their fantastic depth. They have three lines that can score on any given night, which means they don’t have to rely on two or three players to do the majority of the heavy lifting. When it comes to offensive production, eight of the top-nine forwards are enjoying a significant uptick over last year’s scoring rate. There are a few very interesting things we can take away from the accompanying graph. First off, Tomas Tatar’s 2.64 points per 60 is a higher scoring rate than any player on the Golden Knights’ roster. As much as we should give Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin credit for the trade that brought Tatar to Montreal, you have to wonder what his Vegas counterpart, George (Oops) McPhee, was thinking when he essentially gave Tatar away a few months after acquiring him for a first-, second- and third-round draft pick. As is the case with Tatar, Max Domi is eclipsing the production he had with his former team by a significant margin. That gives you a pretty good indication that the driving force behind the overall increase in scoring is not necessarily the personnel, but rather the system put in place by Julien this season. Everyone is scoring more, not only the new guys. As for the holdovers, Andrew Shaw leads the charge, more than doubling his output last season. And while he’s had his fair share of injuries, there’s no denying Shaw has played fantastic hockey. We should also note the significant improvements for Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher, made all the more impressive by the fact they face their opponents’ best lines every game. Their current linemate, Jonathan Drouin, is enjoying the fruits of their labour and has improved his scoring rate to the point that there’s little doubt he’ll set career-best numbers this season. All and all, it has been a staggering change for the Canadiens. And, regardless of the results, the team is playing a very exciting brand of hockey, which is often the forgotten aspect when it comes to statistical analysis — but it remains very important to the fans, and rightfully so. There are some players susceptible to offensive regression on the team, notably Domi and Shaw, but in the grand scheme of things, the Canadiens aren’t playing over their heads in the offensive zone. They have three lines that control the shots and scoring chances during almost every outing. And if one lines goes cold, there are two other lines to pick up the slack. That’s the sign of a healthy team, and a lot of the credit has to go to Julien, who is a likely finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy this season.

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Milestone match for Canadiens captain Shea Weber in Music City

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: February 13, 2019

Canadiens defenceman Shea Weber will be playing his 900th regular- season NHL game Thursday and what better place to mark the milestone than Nashville, the city where his illustrious career began? “I hope the guys like him enough that they want to go out there and win,” Canadiens head coach Claude Julien said as he looked forward to Thursday’s game against the Predators (8 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). “Hopefully, they’ll leave it all out there on the ice and it’s a game to remember.” Weber spent his first 11 seasons with the Predators, piling up all-star mentions, finishing second in the Norris Trophy voting and serving as the team captain. In 2016, he earned the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The presentation was made in Las Vegas a few days before the June 29, 2016, trade that brought Weber to Montreal in return for P.K. Subban, the charismatic defenceman who was popular everywhere in Montreal except in the Canadiens’ dressing room. There’s an ongoing debate over who won the trade, but the reality is that it has been a good deal for both teams. Subban is a productive and popular player in a market that recognizes celebrities, while Weber has provided stability and leadership on a young team that is working hard to prove they can hang with the NHL’s elite teams. This is the sixth meeting between these teams since the trade, but only the third time Weber and Subban have been on the ice at the same time. Subban missed the first game because of an injury and Weber missed both games last season. Weber has two goals in three games against Nashville, while Subban has four assists in four games against his former team. The Canadiens have a 2-1-2 record against he Predators since the trade and are out to avenge a 4-1 loss to the Predators at the Bell Centre on Jan. 5. Both players are healthy after dealing with injuries this season. Weber missed the first two months as he recovered from foot and knee surgeries. He has nine goals, 12 assists and a plus-16 rating in 32 games. Subban, who missed more than a month with an upper-body ailment, has five goals, 15 assists and a plus-6 rating in 40 games. The numbers don’t reflect the job Weber is doing as the Canadiens’ captain, a role handed to him after Max Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Weber is quiet and careful in his interaction with the media, although his teammates paint a picture of a more gregarious person who is constantly joking. While Julien didn’t want to criticize Pacioretty, he noticed there is a difference between the two captains. “It’s Shea’s room,” said Julien. “It’s pretty obvious he’s respected and, as someone who’s been a captain, he knows how to handle stuff. Patch put a lot of pressure on himself. He was proud to wear the “C” and he wanted to do well. Whether he handled it right or put too much pressure on himself had nothing to do with whether he was a bad captain. “Shea has the experience, he has that persona, he has the respect of the players around him because he respects them,” said Julien. “We’re winning hockey games and it’s going in the right direction. Without taking anything away from the old captain, I have to give credit to the new captain who’s done an unbelievable job, especially with the young guys in making them feel they’re a part of the team. He’s a guy who believes in what we, as coaches, are trying to do and part of his job is to continue spreading that message on the ice.”

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Montreal Canadiens award bursaries to local student-athletes

JOHN MEAGHER, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: February 13, 2019

Two members of the Lac St. Louis Lions were among 29 student-athletes awarded bursaries from the Montreal Canadiens last week at the Bell Centre. Forward Matt Choupani and goalie Devon Levi received bursaries of $1,500, presented by Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin. For the 12th consecutive year, recipients were selected for their hockey and academic achievements, as well as community involvement. The bursaries are a collaboration of the Canadiens, the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence (FAEQ), Hockey Quebec and the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League. “The Canadiens’ organization is very proud to have promoted the athletic and academic success of young hockey players across the province for the last 12 years, and to highlight the remarkable performance of our recipients on the ice and in the classroom, ” said Canadiens owner Geoff Molson. It marks the second year in a row that Levi has been awarded a bursary. The 17-year-old Dollard-des-Ormeaux resident is not only one of the top netminders in the midget AAA circuit, he’s also won a slew of academic awards at West Island College, including a multiple-winner of WIC’s Highest Academic Achievement Award. The Dollard whiz kid holds down a 96 average in the classroom. Last year, Levi was named winner of the midget AAA Governors Trophy for Hockey/Academic Personality of the Year. He also won the Daniel Brière Trophy for hockey and academic excellence and was named to the league’s First All-Star Team. Levi was selected as a spokesperson for the league’s anti-drug campaign this season. On the ice, his third with Lions, Levi now holds the league record for most career shutouts in the midget AAA league (8). Choupani takes home a Habs’ bursary after a stellar season which saw him score a league-leading 43 goals. He finished second overall in league scoring with 43-40-83 point totals. Only Joshua Roy of the powerhouse Lévis Chevaliers, with 38 goals and 50 assists, had more points (88) than Choupani, who has committed to Northeastern University to play NCAA Division I hockey in the future. But Choupani bested Roy to win the league’s RDS Cup, awarded annually to the player who accumulates the most points in three-star voting after games. Choupani collected stars in 21 of the 42 games for 69 points, while Roy had 59. Choupani, Levi and their teammates will meet the Collége Esther-Blondin Phénix in the first round of the midget AAA playoffs, beginning Feb. 26. Andriana Calderone, who plays defence for the John Abbott women’s hockey team, was also awarded a Habs’ bursary of $1,500. The Kirkland resident, a graduate of Collège Ste-Anne, will play for the Quebec team at the Canada Games in Red Deer starting Feb. 15. Her dream is to one day play in the Olympics.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130678 Nashville Predators McLeod, who has struggled in his first three games since his return to Nashville, offers the team another physical option against more physical teams. Five issues plaguing Predators and how to fix them Home woes The problem: The Predators already have lost two more games at Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Bridgestone Arena this season than they did last year, when they were 28-9-4 there. They've won just twice there in their past seven games. Published 5:14 p.m. CT Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 5:28 p.m. CT Feb. 13, Bridgestone was voted the toughest place to play in a league poll of 2019 players. Perhaps other teams are bringing their "A" games more now that the Predators are contenders.

The solution: Score first. The Predators are 14-2-0 at Bridgestone when The Predators' power play is dead last in the league – and has been they do. They're just 4-9-1 when they don't. dead most of the season. The bottom nine Five of their top players – Viktor Arvidsson, P.K. Subban, Filip Forsberg, Pekka Rinne and Kyle Turris – have combined to miss 76 games The problem: Arvidsson (team-high 25 goals), Ryan Johansen (team- because of injuries. high 52 points) and Forsberg (20 goals, 17 assists) have accounted for 122 points despite Arvidsson and Forsberg missing 37 games. Austin Watson has been suspended twice and might not return this season. They've score 56 of the team's 181 goals this season, or about 31 percent. They're 2-4-1 in their past seven home games and are just 18-11-1 overall there. The solution: Poile said last week the team needs its second line to produce more. The Predators like to tout their depth. Now it's time to They've led after the first period just 16 times in 59 games, and have show it on the offensive end. The second line of Turris, Kevin Fiala and trailed 22 times after one. They've lost three in a row. Nick Bonino, or Turris, Fiala and Craig Smith, or whoever it is, simply has to produce more. Coach Peter Laviolette has experimented with different They'e struggled to find consistency beyond their top line. combinations. And there's time before the postseason to fix it – either via Still, the Predators are comfortably in second place in the Central trade or what's on the roster. But one thing is for sure: the Predators Division, just four points behind the Jets. don't want to enter the playoffs without that threat. The time to panic is not now. Instead, let's look at five things that have plagued the Predators and how Tennessean LOADED: 02.14.2019 they might fix them. Power play The problem: A point of contention all season, the Predators' 13.1 conversion percentage (26-for-198) is jarring. Going into Wednesday's games, the Predators had the seventh-most shots for with an advantage with 281 and were middle-of-the-pack with 94 high-danger chances for on the power play. They've managed to score on just nine of those, leaving them with the second-worst high- danger for percentage (12.86). While attempts aren't necessarily the problem, the Predators have allowed 26 high-danger chances against, third-most in the league. They've also allowed four high-danger goals against while with an advantage, sixth-most in the league. The solution: Trading for Brian Boyle, who is 6-foot-6 and isn't afraid to clog up space in front of the net, is a step in the right direction. Boyle did just that Tuesday, which resulted in Subban's power-play goal. Also, injuries cannot be discounted in this equation. Simply put, the Predators need to keep things simple, keep shooting and keep putting a body in front of the net. Injuries Viktor Arvidsson is off injured reserve and expected to be back in the lineup for the Predators vs. Dallas on Thursday night. Tommy Deas, Nashville Tennessean The problem: Leading scorer Arvidsson missed 22 games with a broken thumb. Subban missed 19 with an upper-body injury. Forsberg was out for 15 games. Turris, too. Rinne was absent for five. That's a lot of firepower that, when together at the beginning of the season, helped the team get off to the best start in franchise history. The solution: Time. While it might seem like it's running out, the timing of the injuries couldn't have been better for the Predators, who will be able to work everyone back to full speed long before the playoffs arrive. Austin Watson The problem: Watson was suspended for the first 18 games of the season after pleading no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence during the summer. He returned for 34 games before he was suspended indefinitely and admitted into Stage 2 of the league's substance abuse and mental health program for a relapse with alcohol. His presence on the ice helped with the penalty kill, and he provided a physical game few others on the team did. The solution: General manager David Poile traded for Boyle and Cody McLeod. Boyle should play a pivotal role for the remainder of the season. 1130679 New Jersey Devils philosophy moving forward –making sure everyone is on the same page, pulling the same rope.”

But Hynes said it doesn’t matter what the service time in the league or NJ Devils looking for bigger impact from AHL players the stature in the locker room. This organization preaches being a “self- starter” from Day One of development camp for a reason. Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer “It’s the responsibility of every player,” Hynes said. “If you have a really strong team and a strong group, it’s about the individuals and what we Published 6:37 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 7:10 p.m. ET Feb. 13, call ‘self-starters.’ You should not need the captains or the guys to get 2019 you going every game.” Trainer’s room CHICAGO – So, you want to play in the NHL every day? Well, here’s Coleman did not practice with the Devils on Wednesday at MB Ice Arena your chance. and still is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Wood is not yet at 100 percent but did take line rushes and participate in practice in The Devils are in desperate need of talent. The roster is depleted by full in Chicago. He will take the morning skate with New Jersey at United injuries right now, devoid of its best forward (Taylor Hall, lower-body Center on Thursday with the hopes of being able to come off injured injury), best defenseman (Sami Vatanen, concussion) and two of the best reserve Friday when the Devils face the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul. defensive forwards may not play the rest of this week (Blake Coleman and Miles Wood are day-to-day with upper-body injuries). A key veteran Hynes did not have updates on Hall or Vatanen, who stayed in New who played in all situations was traded away last week (Brian Boyle). Jersey to rehab. In their places right now are a handful of regulars. Some may have a future with New Jersey, some have been with the organization for a while and some are just trying to stick in the Bergen Record LOADED: 02.14.2019 NHL. Some may just be stop-gap players who can help get the Devils to the end of a season that fell far short of expectations. That’s the thing about minor leaguers, they don’t want to be in the minor leagues. But the thing is, few of have jumped out as impact players. This is a prime opportunity to show they can make a difference in a lineup and not just be a “passenger” as coach John Hynes often says. “What we’re always looking for is players who can bring something to the table to help you,” Hynes said Wednesday at United Center after the Devils practiced on an off-day in Chicago. “You have to be able to impact the game in some way. It could be size, it could be hockey smarts, it could be offensive skill, it could be skating, it could be penalty killing.” Kurtis Gabriel has brought a much-needed physical presence to a team that doesn’t particularly like to be touched. Kevin Rooney, a homegrown prospect, has stepped in on the penalty kill with so many penalty killers out of the lineup. Kenny Agostino made his presence felt in his first game with his hometown team, jumping in on the forecheck and setting up Pavel Zacha for a goal. Feb 12, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Kurtis Gabriel (39) and St. Louis Blues left wing Pat Maroon (7) are separated by referees as they attempt to fight during the second period at Enterprise Center. But the problem is, the Devils have rotated guys like Gabriel, Rooney and Agostino in and out of the lineup and the organization all season without one being able to stick for a long period of time. “This year, we just haven’t had a lot of guys really come in and grab hold of that,” Hynes said. “Last year you had Coleman who did it and (Ducks’ forward Brian) Gibbons who did it. That makes a big difference on your team.” Of course, fans will be quick to say if the roster had enough depth the Devils wouldn’t be reliant on AHL veterans. But if the roster was deeper to start the season the Devils may not be in the position they’re in right now either, which is 15th place in the Eastern Conference. And when the roster is as thin as the one New Jersey is working with right now, a team is going to get a few clunkers like they did Tuesday to start this three- game Central Division swing. There was plenty of blame to go around after an 8-3 drubbing at the hands of the St. Louis Blues, but the leadership group took it particularly hard. Feb 10, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Kurtis Gabriel (39) pats a young fan on the head before the start of the third period at Prudential Center. Takeaways: NJ Devils failed to 'create own bounces' in loss to Blues Hynes said the group was exceptionally “disconnected” from the game right from the puck drop. Captain Andy Greene and alternate captain Travis Zajac faulted themselves for not showing leadership in that situation. “I’ll take the blame for a lot of it,” Zajac said. “I can do a way better job of leading by example and helping guys out. That’s got to be part of my 1130680 New Jersey Devils “Bounces obviously weren’t going our way tonight,” Kinkaid said. “But we didn’t create our own bounces.”

NJ Devils failed to 'create own bounces' in loss to Blues Bergen Record LOADED: 02.14.2019

Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer Published 6:14 a.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019 | Updated 7:43 a.m. ET Feb. 13, 2019

ST. LOUIS -- Between his social media, his use of emojis and his demeanor on and off the ice, Keith Kinkaid is typically the definition of cool. But he was hot for a minute Tuesday night, as his frustration boiled over after St. Louis’ Mackenzie MacEachern got in front of his defender and slipped a puck underneath him to put the Blues up 5-1 in the second period of Tuesday’s contest. Kinkaid slammed his stick over the crossbar in anger. Who could blame him at that point? Kinkaid gave up a career-worst eight goals in an 8-3 loss Tuesday night at Enterprise Center. But he didn’t lose his sense of humor over it, so it would appear that the outburst was only a momentary lapse in temper. Feb 12, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (27) and goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) defend the net against New Jersey Devils center Pavel Zacha (37) during the second period at Enterprise Center. “Technically, if you count the own-goals we scored more goals,” he joked afterward, A hooking penalty taken by Damon Severson on the first shift set the tone for a bad night from the defensemen. Severson was the defenseman beat by MacEachern and again later by Ryan O’Reilly. Of course, it wasn’t just Severson. It was a collective lack of defense by the skaters in front of Kinkaid. The Blues hung 39 shots on the Devils, 20 alone in the first period, giving him few chances to get to his game. “We weren’t helping him out,” Devils captain Andy Greene, the leader in ice time, said. “We were getting beat to the middle there too many times and giving up too many odd-man rushes. When he’s got to sit there under siege the whole time I’d be frustrated too.” Feb 12, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; New Jersey Devils center Kevin Rooney (58) handles the puck as St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (19) defends during the second period at Enterprise Center. Sure, there were a few goals Kinkaid might like to have back but pucks were going off the sticks and skates of New Jersey defenders. Defenseman Ben Lovejoy knocked two goals into his own net but one was waved off when Kinkaid was interfered with and the Blues lost their challenge. “To be honest, I felt good,” Kinkaid said. “But the next thing you know the puck hits off something and ends up in the back of your net and that’s just the way tonight goes. It happens.” But at the same time… They let the bounces burn them New Jersey has been burned by more than just bad bounces against this St. Louis team. This was the 10th straight loss they’ve suffered against the Blues and they’ve been outscored 37-13 in that span. But regardless of past history, they had a chance to wipe the slate clean and they didn’t take it because they didn’t compete. Feb 12, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (27) celebrates after scoring as New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac (19) skates by during the first period at Enterprise Center. “We didn’t execute right from the start all the way through the end at an NHL level,” Greene said. “It wasn’t enough top-to-bottom from every single guy.” With injuries to top players and Brian Boyle now in Nashville, the Devils are playing with a roster full of American Hockey League players. But the AHL isn’t where any of them want to be. If they want to show they’re ready for the big show, they have to prove they can compete at an NHL level. 1130681 New Jersey Devils I meet her at a Jimmy John’s near my apartment. I’m like, “Oh, there she is” with this driver so that was super weird.

Then the next day I get called back up, so she jumps in the car with me Tales from the road: Devils recall logistical ‘nightmares’ from call-ups, and we drive back to Minnesota. We spent the first night together in Iowa demotions and trades and then had about a week in Minnesota. She probably thought she was coming to meet this full-time NHLer. I had By Corey Masisak been up for like a month, so I was probably starting to think that maybe I was too. Feb 13, 2019 That was just the way it goes. I’m happy that she’s still kicking around with me two years later. Eric Gryba spent the first few weeks of this season with the Devils but did Eric Tangradi not play, so they sent him to Binghamton for what turned out to be a quick trip. The defenseman played one game before returning to make I’ve been married for five years now. When I got married to my wife, it his season debut with New Jersey. was three weeks before training camp. I said my goodbyes and went to Winnipeg. I was on a two-year contract. We got a house and planned for Here’s a synopsis of how that trip went. the whole family to move up. My wife made the flight from Pittsburgh to Winnipeg with my 75-pound boxer (NOTE: Carson the boxer is named “Ugh,” Gryba said. “Nightmare.” after Carson Street in Pittsburgh where Eric and Caitlyn met). Eric and his wife, Cate, made the trek northwest from a hotel in West She gets off the plane, gets to the house, unpacks two bags and I get a Orange on a Friday, but it wasn’t traffic that made Gryba recoil when call saying I’m on waivers. So she’s thinking, “OK, we’ll just go to St. recalling the adventure. It wouldn’t have been a bad afternoon drive if it John’s (about 3,000 miles away in Newfoundland) and try to rebound and had been just the two of them. get things back on track.” Right when I get to St. John’s, I get a call telling me that I’ve been traded from Winnipeg to Montreal. Not only did she Doing it with their baby girl, Peyton, who wasn’t quite 3 months old yet, in spend less than 48 hours in Winnipeg, she got her life flipped upside tow was … a challenge. down twice in a matter of two days. “It’s a nightmare,” Gryba said. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a baby seat I drove my car to Winnipeg and took most of our stuff in it. She came on either. I don’t blame her. It makes traveling very difficult.” the plane. When you get traded, the team expects you there the next day Gryba isn’t alone. While his particular set of circumstances — handling a so I had to leave them and hop on a plane. My wife had to get a demotion and promotion while traveling with a newborn baby — isn’t company to come and ship the car and our stuff, and then she went back common, as players who get shuttled back and forth between AHL and to Pittsburgh with our dog until everything got settled. NHL clubs are typically younger and don’t have families with them, it As players, you definitely always hear about how it is hard for us, but it is doesn’t mean there aren’t similar horror stories. the people behind the scenes — our wives, our families — that really The thrill of getting called up to the big leagues, or the disappointment of take it a lot harder than us. It’s so much easier on the player because we being sent to the minors, is only part of the professional hockey player have the excuse to just get up and go. I can’t thank her enough when she experience. Sometimes the logistics of those moves can be problematic. handles all of that stuff so I can just focus on the hockey. There’s another reason why Gryba’s case is a little different than most. When I got to Hamilton (Montreal’s AHL affiliate), I got there so late, He doesn’t pack light. trying to find a place to live was so hard. I ended up scooping up a roommate. Here I am, fresh off of my wedding, and having a roommate. Gryba loves to cook and loves to hunt — he has parlayed that into a My wife was living back in Pittsburgh because the house didn’t set up burgeoning side career as a cooking and hunting TV show host — so he well enough for our family. That was crazy. uses a trailer attached to the back of his SUV to haul everything. I’ve been traded three times, so I’ve sort of seen it all. The first time I was “I packed up all of our stuff back into the trailer, packed the baby in for in juniors. We had TSN on in the room and I saw that I was traded from the drive to Bingo,” he said. “We left at like 3 (p.m.). It is supposed to Anaheim to Pittsburgh (in a deal that included Chris Kunitz and Ryan take 2 1/2 hours. We get there at like 8. When we got there, all they had Whitney) on the television before I got a phone call from anyone. was a one-bedroom, but it was basically one open room with no doors, so when the baby is sleeping … like, my wife and I had to go outside on Some of these younger guys just live out of a suitcase, basically. They the stairs to have a glass of wine and unwind a little before we could go get called up, they grab a bag and they go. My wife is pregnant and we to bed. We sat in the dark for 45 minutes, just whispering and texting have a 2-year-old at home. We also have two boxers now. If a call-up is back and forth with each other before we slept.” in store for me, we have a whole mish-mash of plans that seem to go in a giant circle. The dogs are going here, and the baby is going there and the Gryba chronicled some of the trip on his Instagram story. It was a long wife is going here. journey that even included a bear sighting at one point. The encounter might have freaked others out, but not the outdoor enthusiast. It’s a good problem to have for sure, but there are so many moving parts so that I can just focus on hockey and everyone else is taken care of. “It was right after a stop. We had just stopped for gas and to feed Peyton,” Gryba said. “I had to go down this back road to turn around with John Ramage the trailer. Then all of a sudden, there was just this bear. It seemed pretty I got traded twice last year. The first time was in January. I was traded to content to just hang out and look for food around the houses. Arizona in January, so I went to Tucson for two games. Then it was time “It must have been the neighborhood bear.” for the All-Star break. So during the break, I got the family together and packed up our place in Cleveland (the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate). This chat with Gryba spawned an idea. Surely, other players in the organization had some funny or interesting travel tales, right? We got moved out to Tucson. My parents helped us get out there, my wife and our son was 4 months old at the time. We were there about a Yes. Yes they did. month. Kurtis Gabriel I went on a 16-day road trip, and then I was back for about a week before I got traded again at the deadline. I went to Milwaukee (the Predators’ So I was with Minnesota, and I met my girlfriend the modern way, AHL club) and we had to move all of our stuff again. Honestly, my wife through Instagram. I talked to her for six months without meeting her. took the brunt of it. She did all of the moving. There was a point in late December when I happened to be up with the Wild and in Minnesota. Going to Milwaukee, all of her family is actually from there, so that was a big help. It seemed like a worst-case scenario, but the end of it was a I got sent down as she was flying to Minnesota to meet me for the first best-case scenario. time. I had to leave because I was reassigned. So I had to get her (to Des Moines, Iowa, where the Wild’s AHL affiliate plays). I got her a car Luckily, my wife is really organized. She’s a trooper, and took care of service. It was like $600. I probably should have gotten her a bus ticket, pretty much everything. but you know, first time meeting her. I wanted to impress her. So I got a car service to drive her to Iowa. Brian Strait My wildest story is actually from my first NHL game. I was in Wilkes- Barre. It was nine years ago. Ray Shero had drafted me with Pittsburgh and it was a lot of the same guys (who are in the Devils’ organization now). It was my second year in Wilkes-Barre when I got called up. John Hynes was my coach. I remember him calling and saying, “Hey, you’ve been called up and you’re going to be playing tonight.” I was like, great, this is awesome. It was maybe 11 a.m. at this point. He said he was going to call back with all of the car details and all that, and to get something to eat while I’m waiting. It was easier to just take a car service and drive across Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh than to fly. It was like a four-, five-hour trip. I’m sitting there eating and he calls me back. He says, “OK, the car is coming a little quicker than we thought, because there is a huge snowstorm coming through.” I’m thinking, oh god. He tells me the car is picking me up at 12 and the game is at 7 p.m., so I’m thinking we have plenty of time. I get to the rink and it’s snowing already. Now I’m thinking this could be a heck of a trip. I’m in a Lincoln town car. Most of the way, it was snowing. Like a straight-up blizzard. It’s supposed to take five hours. I get to the rink and we pull up right outside the Consol Energy Center and it was my first call-up — I didn’t know where to go. It’s a brand new building too. The guy was like, “Where do you want me to drop you off?” And I had no idea. He drops me off right in front, where all the fans are entering the building. I’m walking in with my hockey bag. I went in through the office entrance and was like walking through offices with my bag. It was a disaster. I didn’t make it in time for warmups. They were going on the ice for warmups as I was walking into the locker room. First NHL game, no warmups, drove through a blizzard and jumped on the ice, and it was a big game too against Washington. It was like a big, playoff-implications type of game. It was quite the experience for the first one. If anything, it’s a memorable one that I’ll take with me forever. Brian Boyle My first call-up, I ended up being late. I was with the Kings and playing in Manchester. My first game was in New Jersey. We were supposed to play against Worcester and my coach, , was like, “How would you like to play against the New Jersey Devils tonight?” They couldn’t figure out a way for me to get down here. Finally, at like 1 p.m. they got a car service. We left Manchester at like 1:30. The guy got lost. I hadn’t eaten anything so we stopped at McDonald’s. I had some chicken nuggets. That was my first NHL pregame meal. It was everything you dreamed of. I knew we were going to get there right around game time and it was probably going to be a hectic thing. I was a little nervous because I didn’t really know where to go. I got there and got on the ice after the first TV timeout. There was like 12:30 left in the first period. My warmup was like two turns to each side on the ice in front of the bench. My dad had pneumonia and he couldn’t come. It was not how I pictured it happening at all. At 22 or 23 or whatever I was, it was a lot easier than it would be now. I need to get a full workout in before games now. It was still not great. We lost 6-3, but I had a goal and an assist.

The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130682 New York Islanders

Islanders benefiting from increased scoring production by their defensemen

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Updated February 13, 2019 6:16 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Islanders know they need to finish this two- game road trip with a more complete effort on Thursday night against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena than they gave in Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss at Buffalo. And a significant part of what’s made the Islanders’ overall game so strong lately — inconsistent outing against the Sabres aside — has been increased scoring production from their defensemen. “I think it’s important that you kind of get that offensive punch from all five guys on the ice to feed that five-man unit on the attack,” said defenseman Ryan Pulock, who had a three-game point streak snapped on Tuesday. “It’s a lot more dangerous so it’s important for the defensemen to chip in a little bit and take that pressure off the forwards that they have to score every night.” The Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders, who did not practice on Wednesday, hold a five-point lead on the third-place Blue Jackets, who beat the second-place Capitals, 3-0, on Tuesday night. The Islanders rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets at NYCB Live’s on Dec. 1. Pulock had two goals and two assists in his three-game streak, scoring twice in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Avalanche at . The defensemen took 15 of the Islanders’ 41 shots in that game, including eight by Pulock. The defensemen also took 12 of the team’s 34 shots in a 2-1 win over the Wild on Sunday in Brooklyn, with Pulock setting up defenseman Devon Toews’ third-period winner. Pulock leads the Islanders’ defensemen with five goals and 21 assists, while Toews, a 24-year-old rookie, has four goals and two assists in 22 games since being recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL. The Islanders' six other defensemen have a total of 10 goals. Toews’ arrival coincided with the start of a six-game winning streak, and the Islanders are 16-4-2 with him in the lineup. “We haven’t done anything flashy and blow teams out,” center Brock Nelson said. “But we find ways to win games. Toews on the power play, to get that is huge for us.” The Islanders’ defensemen had eight of the 25 shots against the Sabres, but, until the third period, the team struggled connecting on breakout passes from the defensive zone or effectively gaining the offensive zone. That left coach Barry Trotz frustrated his team got away from its usual game of going “north” as it tried to play too “cute.” But one loss did not leave Trotz feeling he has to make lineup changes. “I don’t think I have to sit anybody right now,” Trotz said. “We’ve just got to get guys all pulling the right way. We’ve had a pretty good run here so let’s make sure we’re doing the right things.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130683 New York Islanders work for the Isles. If the likes of Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson are off- limits, would the Rangers take one of the Isles’ second-tier kids like Mitch Vande Sompel or Parker Wotherspoon? That seems unlikely, but As trade market comes into focus, an updated look at potential deadline perhaps they won’t be wowed. Considering Isles target Brian Boyle went acquisitions for the Islanders to Nashville for a second-rounder, a pretty serious price for a bottom-six forward, the Rangers should be feeling confident that Zuccarello will fetch a good return. By Arthur Staple Gustav Nyquist is still on the block in Detroit, albeit with a full no-trade clause. One would think he’d waive it to get a playoff shot and the Feb 13, 2019 Islanders, normally a team on a lot of guys’ no-trade lists, would have some appeal this season. That second-rounder plus would seem to be

the right price and you’d think the Islanders are willing. BUFFALO, N.Y. — After scoring a single goal or less for the fourth time If Lamoriello is looking to just move picks and not bodies, perhaps the in their last six games, the Islanders chastised themselves for trying to Devils’ Marcus Johansson is the answer. That second-rounder plus get cute against a Sabres team that played a very Islander-type game in maybe a late 2020 pick would likely get that done and Johansson has not allowing much room and committing to their structure to frustrate the looked solid on the fading Devils’ top line of late, with seven points in his Isles. last eight games. He’s familiar with Barry Trotz from Washington and What’s most frustrating for the Islanders and their fans, even in the midst provides some power-play punch, as well. of a 19-5-2 run that still has them comfortably atop the Metro Division, is Wayne Simmonds hasn’t been mentioned much around these parts, the lack of finishers in the lineup. We served up a primer on the trade despite his power-play skill and high character. He’s a slow winger, deadline two weeks ago that offered up a wide range of possibilities for however, and the Isles have a few of those; Philly doesn’t seem to have Lou Lamoriello to try and improve the team as the Feb. 25 deadline much to sell off at this deadline and that might lead you to believe the started to come into view. Flyers would want a first-rounder for Simmonds. That seems too high a Now, with 12 days until the deadline, the market has come more into price to pay right now. focus — as have the Islanders’ needs as a team with a real shot to make The list of rental centers who will cost below a first-rounder is short and a playoff run. Let’s take a look: Derick Brassard is at the top. He just went from Pittsburgh to Florida in a The high end strange four-player deal and the Panthers don’t have much time to decide if they want to try to make a run with what they’ve got or flip Mark Stone and Matt Duchene are still in talks (well, their agents are) Brassard to add more futures — sitting 11 points out of a playoff spot with the Senators on possible extensions, but as the days draw closer to should tell you what will do. Feb. 25 and the Sens continue to solidify last overall in the NHL, thus giving the Avalanche the best chance at the No. 1 overall pick, the more Florida may be in on the Panarin/Bobrovsky sweepstakes, though, so it looks like both Duchene and Stone could be had for the right hefty Brassard could be ticketed elsewhere. If not, a second-rounder would price. seem the right price to add him should the Islanders feel center is where they need to add most. Both players fill obvious needs for the Islanders, who are not deep enough down the middle to sustain a long playoff run nor are dynamic Teams like the Blues and Wild are holding tight to playoff spots at the enough on the wing in the top six. Having hauled in two drafts’ worth of moment, so previous possibilities like Brayden Schenn and Charlie Coyle high-end prospects at June’s draft, Lamoriello may be more than willing don’t appear so realistic to move before the deadline. to part with his first-round pick in this coming draft to make a big deal Andrew Ladd and Thomas Hickey are nearing returns from injury for the happen, but either one of the Sens’ top forwards would cost that first- Islanders, so that’s a pair of deadline-acquisition type veterans to add to rounder, a young roster player and one of those same high-end the lineup. Problem is, neither one helps the Isles’ main issue, which is prospects. finishing scoring chances and improving a fitful power play. Hickey’s And that’s just to rent. Unless Lamoriello has some sort of secret return gives the Isles seven good defensemen and Luca Sbisa an eighth; negotiating network set up, there’s no chance of working out a contract that seems like enough to get through the stretch run. extension with either player during the season, so you’re getting 20-25 If Ladd returns to his previous spot with Valtteri Filppula and Leo games plus playoffs and nothing else guaranteed. Komarov, that bumps either Michael Dal Colle or Beauvillier out of the The same goes for Artemi Panarin, who recently switched agents and is lineup and doesn’t really solve the problem either. now repped by Paul Theofanous, who also has Sergei Bobrovsky and The players, of course, don’t get a say in what Lamoriello decides to do Ilya Sorokin as clients and a good relationship with Lamoriello — between now and Feb. 25. Chemistry and equal buy-ins from the whole Theofanous was at Barclays Center on Saturday afternoon to see Avs roster have played an enormous part in getting the Islanders to where goalie Semyon Varlamov, another client. The Isles don’t seem inclined to they are now. try to trade a haul for both Panarin and Bobrovsky before Feb. 25, though I’d imagine they will consider both on July 1. “You just let the people in charge do what they’re going to do, you trust their judgment,” Cal Clutterbuck said. “All of their judgment has led to the Panarin would fill the greatest need for the Islanders as a rental. But if team being what it is now, so if they feel they need to add something, we the price is say, a first, Anthony Beauvillier and Oliver Wahlstrom, that have all the confidence in the world in the decisions being made. Credit seems a bit much for a guy who will take meetings the week before free to our team, position we’ve put ourselves in, it’s a positive thought — it’s agency. Players like Panarin, Stone and Duchene are taking full not like we’re selling off a bunch of guys. Those are tough years when advantage of their pending free agency, so giving up three big pieces you do that. It’s a good situation to be in.” would be difficult.

With the Ducks in freefall, an interesting name with a Lamoriello connection has come to the rumor mill: Adam Henrique. Even with The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 Anaheim in disarray it would seem premature to dump the 29-year-old center, who signed a five-year extension worth $5.825-million per this past summer. Lamoriello drafted Henrique in 2008 and he’s a talented center, which the Isles don’t have enough of. With all that term left, a trade for Henrique would be costly and pretty disruptive — you’d think a piece off the active roster would go the other way. The mid-range The Islanders had a pro scout at Madison Square Garden last week and the Rangers are getting lots of calls on their two best forward rentals, Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. Hayes will likely command a first plus a prospect and the bidding should be intense, especially if any of those big three listed above stay put or are too costly. Zuccarello seems to fit the Islanders best and the asking price, which currently appears to be a second-rounder and a decent prospect, could 1130684 New York Rangers Exhibit B: The tire fire in Hartford, where the Wolf Pack are 30th in winning percentage in the 31-team AHL. Libor Hajek, supposedly ready enough to knock on the Broadway door in this, his first pro season, has Mats Zuccarello should be the exception to Rangers’ fire sale struggled through an 0-5=5 and minus-23 year, and Lias Andersson has six goals with 13 assists in 33 games with one goal in his last 16. Maybe hiccups for both young men, but boy. By Larry Brooks Seriously. What is going on down there? February 13, 2019 | 3:36PM 7. Cap considerations: Ryan Strome, with one year remaining on his contract at $3.1 million, can be bought out at a one-third rate. A buyout would bring a cap charge of $433,333 next season and $533,333 in 2020-21, so you better believe the center is playing for his job on Regarding the Rangers, before they become something else on or about Broadway. Feb. 25. The 24-24-8 Rangers undoubtedly will dip following the deadline, and 1. The season, we all have been told even more times than Alex that should be advantageous as it relates to the draft. But what does it Georgiev stopped the puck Sunday, was always about development. But say about the league that as of Wednesday morning, 10 teams had a in addition to developing players, this was also about developing a worse record? nucleus around which to build. It is hardly heresy to suggest the Blueshirts are further ahead on the latter than the former. So is it truly wise to break up the nucleus by sending Mats Zuccarello New York Post LOADED: 02.14.2019 and Kevin Hayes away in exchange for the usual packages of future prospects and draft picks because that was the original plan? They are separate cases, but it is inarguable that Zuccarello’s revival has been the key force in the creation of a first line that has become a formidable, go- to unit. Now, are Zuccarello-Mika Zibanejad-Chris Kreider exactly Kyle Connor- Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler? No. But the line is the team’s engine, and the Norwegian has been its conductor. Sending him away now for a lukewarm return simply to add quantity to a still threadbare system does not seem to add up. There is nothing inherently meritorious about sticking to a plan if a more advantageous one presents itself. Ownership/management never intended to strip the team down to its studs (alternate meaning) when the Rangers embarked on their reset last February, so it’s not quite clear why the team’s most important players have to go simply because they’re not in their teens or early 20s. We’ve said it before and will say it again: Making decisions based on the proposition that your team won’t be in position to win for another five years becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. 2. Hayes presents a more complex scenario than Zuccarello because it is not yet clear whether management is convinced the center will be the same force on a long-term deal that he has been in consecutive contract seasons. And the return for No. 13 should be far more substantial, though we have argued for months that the typical 24-31 draft pick plus a B-level prospect or two doesn’t move the needle dramatically enough. 3. So let’s focus on Zuccarello for a moment, then. There is risk involved in assuming the winger gladly will return to reclaim his No. 36 as a free agent if traded. He could fall in love with his new team. He could receive a larger offer on the open market than the Blueshirts deem reasonable. He could feel jilted and not all that thrilled to re-up with the organization that sent him away after months in which he made it clear he wants to stay. 4. Isn’t there some sort of cap contained in the CBA limiting the number of Rangers on the Lightning? Apparently not, given Tampa Bay’s substantial scouting presence at the Garden last week. The league’s best team is on the hunt for a righty defenseman. Kevin Shattenkirk, for whom the Lightning had completed a conditional deal prior to the 2017 deadline before the defenseman rejected it, shoots right. Just saying. 5. Hey, that was some plan the Penguins had to draft Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in back-to-back years. Don’t know why the Rangers haven’t thought of that. 6. If you trade for draft picks and prospects, you’d better, a) get the correct people and, b) develop them properly. The Rangers’ track record does not exactly inspire the utmost confidence, does it? Exhibit A: The 2014-through-2016 drafts from which the Rangers have gotten a total of five games (four from Tim Gettinger, one from Brandon Halverson) of the 17 players selected those three years. One asterisk: The Blueshirts’ first picks came in at 59, 41 and 81, respectively, though Brayden Point and Jordan Greenway were on the board to be taken. A second asterisk: Igor Shesterkin is a 2014 fourth-rounder, so there is a pretty good shot at redemption here. By the way, the 23-year-old Russian goaltender (22-4/1.19/.949 in the KHL), is represented by Paul Theofanous, the very same fellow who reps Vitali Kravtsov and, oh right, Artemi Panarin, and happens to be one of Glen Sather’s best friends in hockey. 1130685 New York Rangers

Rangers' Kevin Hayes: 'I know the deadline's coming close'

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinASteph Updated February 13, 2019 6:30 PM

Kevin Hayes is resigned to his fate. Whatever happens at this point is beyond his control. “I’ve given the same answer every time,’’ Hayes said recently when asked how he is feeling as the Feb. 25 NHL trade deadline approaches. “I’m in the same state of mind. It’s out of my hands. Everyone knows how I feel about the situation I’m in; the guys on this team, this organization, the city. It’s really not my decision.’’ Hayes, as has been discussed all season, is one of the Rangers most likely to be traded before the deadline as the team’s dream of the playoffs slips further away with each passing day. The 6-5, 216-pound center signed a one-year contract worth $5.175 million as a restricted free agent last summer, and his agent hasn’t had any talks with the Rangers about a contract extension. Unless that changes, it means Hayes would be an unrestricted free agent this summer. And he – along with fellow unrestricted free agents-to-be Mats Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid and who knows who else – figure to be dealt away as the Rangers continue to acquire assets to help in their rebuild. For most of the season, Hayes has been one of the team’s best players, managing to put aside any thoughts of his likely departure and hold down the No. 2 center role with consistently strong hockey. An upper-body injury caused him to miss nine games, but he still is third on the team in scoring with 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 47 games. But with the deadline now less than two weeks away – and with the Rangers having made two trades within the last week – the reality of Hayes leaving the only professional organization he has belonged to is drawing closer and closer. Still, the 26-year-old insists, he is trying hard to avoid thinking about it. He insisted he doesn’t find himself looking around all the time, thinking this might be the last time he does this, or the last time he does that, as a Blueshirt. “I don’t think that will happen until something happens,’’ he said. “You start thinking like that, it’s not right to your teammates. I pretty much attack every day the same way, like I have the past three, four years. I mean, I know the deadline’s coming close, but it’s – I don’t really think about it.’’ Of course, if and when Hayes is traded, there is nothing stopping him from simply re-signing with the Rangers on July 1, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. But in a salary-cap sport, there is always the question of money. Hayes, who turns 27 on May 8, surely will want a long-term deal – probably five or six years, and probably north of $6 million per year. Depending on where they are in their rebuild, the Rangers (who were off Wednesday and return to action Friday in Buffalo against the Sabres) may not want to commit that amount of money to their No 2 center.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130686 NHL

Seattle NHL team taps local tech entrepreneur to head up digital efforts

Originally published February 13, 2019 at 9:25 am Updated February 13, 2019 at 1:20 PM By Geoff Baker Seattle Times staff reporter

Former professional hockey player Todd Humphrey has been hired by Seattle’s incoming NHL team as a senior vice president of digital and fan experience. Humphrey, CEO of the Seattle-based project management firm LiquidPlanner, had been on the NHL Seattle group’s tech advisory committee and had also participated on the city’s KeyArena advisory panel. The Toronto native, who has resided in Seattle the past 18 years, was in Sea Island, Ga., on his 50th birthday for the awarding of a franchise here for 2020-21 and had commented on the readiness of this area’s hockey fans for a team. “I think part of what’s happening is with companies like Amazon moving so many people in, you’ve got people from all over the country and Canada and other parts that are hockey fans and now show up to the city without a team,” Humphrey told The Seattle Times. “So, the conversations I’ve been having are that people are not just excited about it, they are just anxious for us to get one. So, I think there are certainly more hockey fans than there were 10, 12 or 15 years ago. And I think that’s going to grow exponentially.’’ In a release Wednesday announcing the hiring, NHL Seattle chief operating officer Victor de Bonis said: “Todd has led numerous technology organizations with great success. In this new role, he is charged with ensuring our fans have a memorable experience at the new Seattle Center Arena. His knowledge of hockey will be key as we engage and immerse Seattle fans in the culture of hockey in the Pacific Northwest.” Humphrey played Canadian college hockey at the University of Western Ontario and then spent several seasons as a left wing in the minor pro ECHL and Continental Hockey League. Among Humphrey’s primary tasks will be identifying how to implement evolving technology into the fan experience at the remodeled arena.

Seattle Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130687 NHL “I didn’t think they would call it a goal, because I didn’t think they’d see it, but they did,” Pysyk said. “It was in his pants and he backed in. I think you could see me point at it. They counted it a little bit after, obviously, so NHL goalies do best to defend the unpredictable at net I didn’t have a chance to celebrate normally. It was pretty funny.” SURPRISING ISLANDERS By TERESA M. WALKER The New York Islanders are atop the Metropolitan Division in coach Barry Trotz’s first season despite losing John Tavares last offseason to The Associated Press Toronto. They just snapped a three-game streak Tuesday night with a 3- 1 loss in Buffalo but are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games and remain second overall in the Eastern Conference. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — NHL goaltenders prepare for the To Buffalo coach Phil Housley, credit Trotz for using the same philosophy unpredictable, ready for pucks deflecting off sticks, bodies, feet or a divot and structure from coaching in Nashville and winning the Stanley Cup in the ice, past all the gear designed to help defend their net. with Washington last summer. The freaky, fluky or simply weird goals can be laughed off by goalies who “I really had a pleasure to work with him for one year and learned a lot know sometimes the puck just takes a funny bounce. from him,” Housley said. “You can see he’s had success wherever he’s went.” The goals that eat at a goalie are those he believes he could’ve — and should’ve — stopped. Not the goal allowed by Dallas goalie Anton RIVALRY SERIES Khudobin where the puck bounced off a Nashville forward’s back and over the net before hitting the back of the goalie’s helmet, then off his The best of women’s hockey are back at it this week with the United back and into the net. States and Canada playing each other in a rare three-game “Rivalry Series” that ends Sunday in Detroit at the home of the Red Wings. The “It stings anytime you give up a goal,” Predators goalie Pekka Rinne said U.S. beat Canada nearly a year ago for Olympic gold and then won a Tuesday. “That kind of goal, there’s nothing really he could’ve done. It’s a fourth straight Four Nations Cup title last November. Kendall Coyne freaky goal, and I feel like those things maybe happen once, twice in a Schofield will be the U.S. captain for the series, which will be aired on season. But yeah, the ones that hurt the most as a goalie, it’s the ones NHL Network. that you feel like you should’ve had it.” “That’s something we’ve been fighting for, is more chances for us to play Stick-handling in the NHL has improved right along with players’ speed against Canada,” U.S. forward Dani Cameranesi said. “It’s not that often and skating thanks to offseason workouts. That also has boosted the that we get to play at the highest level. We don’t really have that many creativity for shooters looking to do a bit more than a simple slap shot, chances for that, but for them all to be … on NHL Network too and for us wrister or snap shot. to get coverage on that is a really big deal.” “There’s a lot of talent in the league, more maybe so now than there has GAME OF THE WEEK been in years past,” Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “These young guys coming up, everybody has their own skills coaches and The Washington Capitals visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in things like that. There’s a lot of skills. I don’t doubt there’s more highlight- a matchup of two of the NHL’s top 10 teams. reel goals.” LEADERS (after Tuesday games) Goaltenders have to be ready for the next move dreamed up by the league’s stars to put the puck over the line. Scoring is up with the Goals: Alex Ovechkin (Washington), 38; Assists: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa average number of goals scored per game increasing in each of the past Bay), 63; Points: Kucherov, 88; Ice time: Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), four seasons, and the current average of 3.06 goals per game is on pace 26:45; Wins: Marc-Andre Fleury (Vegas), 29; Goals-against average: to be the highest since the 2005-06 season, according to Hockey- Robin Lehner (N.Y. Islanders), 2.08; Save percentage: Robin Lehner, Reference.com . (N.Y. Islanders), .929. “Maybe it’s the skill of the players too, finding that one spot,” Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer said. “(Evgeny) Kuznetsov in Washington, he’s Seattle Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 so sneaky in terms of what he wants to do and doesn’t want to do. He puts the puck in spots. Maybe you get a weird bounce, hit a guy’s shin pad or something like that.” The NHL also keeps downsizing goaltenders’ pads, most recently chest protectors . Grubauer sees teams also changing how they break out on offense, attacking faster and giving goalies less time. “Back in the days, you always used to go back and regroup and break out as a unit,” Grubauer said. “I feel like the last couple of years, it’s always like, (snaps fingers) and up (snaps fingers) and up.” Sometimes goalies get lucky, too. Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton appeared to be losing his balance Sunday in the first period against Winnipeg with Adam Lowry coming in on a short- handed breakaway. Hutton put his glove down at the exact moment Lowry tried to slip the puck between the goalie’s legs for the save. “You definitely get some fluky saves where you’re beat and a guy just hits you,” Hutton said. The Sabres goalie also recalls being on his goal line when the puck came up, rolled over the top of the net, hit his neck and went in. He had another puck slip past him on a penalty shot in December against Florida. “You make the initial save, and it lands on my pads sideways and just slowly rolls off,” Hutton said. “That’s one where if it’s during a game, a D- man’s probably there to stop it or that puck lands flat on my pad and doesn’t go in. It’s unfortunate that it lands sideways and rolls off my pad. So that’s one that I would say this year that’s been fluky.” There’s one goal so weird it’s called the Butt Goal. Defenseman Mark Pysyk, now with Florida, got his first goal of the 2013 season right before Christmas in overtime after jamming at the puck, sending it into the air and into the pants of Coyotes goalie Mike Smith who then backed into his own net. 1130688 Ottawa Senators

Belleville to host rookie tournament featuring Senators, Jets and Canadiens

Ken Warren

The Winnipeg Jets will join the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens at the 2019 rookie showcase in Belleville on Sept. 6-9. The tournament, which has in the past also included the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins, has previously been played in London, Toronto and Laval. During last year’s event in Laval, Senators standouts included Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Alex Formenton, Max Lajoie and Christian Wolanin. “We are thrilled that the Senators, Canadiens and Jets have all agreed to showcase their prospects at CAA Arena in what will most certainly be a memorable weekend of hockey in the Bay of Quinte region,” chief operating officer Rob Mullowney said in a media release. Ticket prices will range from $15 to $35 for each game. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130689 Ottawa Senators Goaltender Craig Anderson GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings Anders Nilsson Detroit Bruce Garrioch Forward Justin Abdelkader-Dylan Larkin-Gustav Nyquist Ottawa (21-30-5) at Detroit (22-28-7) Thomas Vanek-Frans Nielsen-Anthony Mantha Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Little Caesars Arena. TV: TSN5. Radio: TSN 1200 Darren Helm-Luke Glendening-Andreas Athanasiou AM, Unique 94.5 FM Michael Rasmussen-Jacob De La Rose=Christoffer Ehn SPECIAL TEAMS Defencemen OTT: PP 20.5% (15th); PK 76.8% (26th) Niklas Kronwall-Mike Green DET: PP 16.7% (24th); PK 77.8% (24th) Dan DeKeyser=Nick Jensen THE BIG MATCHUP Jonathan Ericsson=Trevor Daley vs. Gustav Nyquist Goaltenders Ryan isn’t hearing his name in trade rumours before the 2019 trade deadline, but he has played better this season. The Jimmy Howard Senators winger had an assist on the only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Jonathan Bernier Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. He has 14 goals and seven assists in 41 career games against the Wings. Nyquist has been one of Detroit’s INJURIES most consistent players, but has been held scoreless in three games against the Senators this season. OTT: Mikkel Boedker FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME DET: Evgeny Svechnikov, Tyler Bertuzzi 1. Start off strong Ottawa Sun LOADED: 02.14.2019 The Senators begin this four-game, nine-day road trip with a 7-18-1 record away from home this season. They have a chance to win two games in Detroit in the same season for the only the second time in franchise history. The last time Ottawa completed the feat was in 2013- 14. 2. Go back to Craig Anderson Anderson was scheduled to make the trip despite a scratched eye during an accident in the gym on Monday. As long as the Senators top goalie is healthy, he should get the start against the Wings. He has a 9-9-5 lifetime record against them with a .922 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average. 3. A 60-minute effort This has been a huge issue for the Senator all season. They play well for stretches, but haven’t been able to put together an effort for three periods. They aren’t good enough to allow for ups and downs. Staying out of the penalty box is always a good idea, too. 4. Focus on the game There will be a lot of noise surrounding the Senators right up to the Feb. 25 trade deadline. Potential unrestricted free agents Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel can’t get caught up in the speculation. If they don’t sign deals, trades are just around the corner. 5. Goals for confidence Since returning from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss five games, Senators centre Colin White has yet to score in six games. He has two assists in that time, however. A goal or two would help his confidence. Rosters Ottawa Forwards Ryan Dzingel-Matt Duchene-Bobby Ryan Brady Tkachuk-Colin White-Mark Stone Zack Smith-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Magnus Paajarvi Chris Tierney-Rudolfs Balcers Defencemen Thomas Chabot-Dylan DeMelo Maxime Lajoie-Cody Ceci Mark Borowiecki-Christian Jaros Ben Harpur 1130690 Ottawa Senators puck. But the puck first bounced off Hurricanes goaltender Curtis McElhinney three feet in front of the net. “That’s unfortunate,” said defenceman Dylan DeMelo. “If there is no goalie in net, that’s going into Senators pick up the pieces and pack for an uncertain future the corner (of the rink). Obviously, he’s not trying to kick it in.” We agree…

DeMelo on whether the small crowd Tuesday made a difference: Ken Warren “Everyone played in the minor leagues where you don’t get a lot of fans, but there’s no excuse for that, we’ve got to create our own energy.”…

With storm clean up taking over the city Wednesday, the Senators Ottawa Senators players woke up like most of the people in the city cancelled their scheduled morning practice, opting to go directly to the Wednesday morning, facing the challenge of the onslaught that was airport for their afternoon charter to Detroit. The expectation is that dumped on them the night before. Anders Nilsson will make his fourth consecutive start Thursday against the Red Wings. After yielding a third period four-spot to the Carolina Hurricanes in front of a one-third full Canadian Tire Centre, it’s time to dig out from under the Ottawa Sun LOADED: 02.14.2019 mess, as they embark on a four-game road trip that begins against the Detroit Red Wings Thursday. Yet while they are trying to sing the standard tune about being professionals and putting the past behind them, they are also facing the reality that one, two, three – hell, maybe even a full handful – of the group won’t be with them by the time the nine-day trek is over. Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Cody Ceci and Magnus Paajarvi are among the potential targets as the Feb. 25 trade deadline closes in. Consider this: the 6,000-odd fans who showed up the other night could very well have seen a piece of history: the 121st and perhaps final goal in Mark Stone’s career with the Senators. “You take it for what it is, it’s that time of year,” winger Bobby Ryan said of the speculation season, fast becoming an annual event in Ottawa. “We’re in a results-driven business. You feel for the guys who are really going through it. That being said, you still have to go to work, right? You’ve still got to get to the rink and get the job done.” It helps, Ryan says, that the bulk of the trip will be spent in the United States, where trade talk doesn’t knock Trump talk off the front pages. “You’re not going to see it every time you turn the TV on, those guys aren’t going to hear it and be part of it every second of every day and there will be some relief in that sense. “But I can’t imagine what the three (Stone, Dzingel, Duchene) who are really in the middle of it are going through. You just try to be a good teammate and answer questions if they have them. If not, you let them be and go about your business.” (The Senators do have a stop Saturday in Winnipeg and either Stone and Duchene could potentially end up with the Jets when the dealing is done). There’s some dark humour involved in all of the above, as defenceman Mark Borowiecki says he joked with Paajarvi about so many players potentially packing extra suitcases because of all the unknowns. The loss of Stone would hurt more than the rest. He has developed all the way from a longshot sixth round draft selection in 2010 into one of the NHL’s most complete forwards, but he has gone silent on his future in the past month, leaving so many questions about why he appears to already have one skate out the door. “Stoney is someone I lived with for a couple of years in Binghamton (of the American Hockey League),” said Borowiecki. “We kind of grew up in pro hockey together. He’s someone I care about very, very much. I respect all the guys in here, but I have kind of a soft spot for Stoner and I hope, selfishly, we can keep him here.” In many ways, Borowiecki has become the social conscience of the Senators dressing room. The string of defeats and departures hits hard. “We had a practice at the Bell Sensplex the other day and there were a ton of people watching us and we had just lost a ton of games and we were in last place and it’s a shot to your ego, a shot to your pride, for sure,” he said. “We want this organization to do well, but you’ve just got to take a little pause to make sure you’re doing something positive. Everyone in this organization, we all need to do that. What are we doing to help this team grow and what are we doing to help get this fan base on board? “People may be disgruntled or not agree with everything. The onus is on us as an organization to win them back.” A RULE RIDDLE: Keeping in mind that it was poor penalty killing that turned a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 deficit early in the third period against the Hurricanes, a disallowed Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal would have given the Senators a 2-0 second period lead. The goal was disallowed after video because Pageau was ruled to have made a distinct kicking motion at the 1130691 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers hosted second annual Hockey for Her event by DeArbea Walker,

The Flyers hosted their second annual Hockey for Her event last week. The event allowed female Flyers fans a chance to experience all of the aspects of being a woman covering and working for the Flyers organization. With over 200 fans on hand, the evening began with a reception and a special appearance from Gritty and former Flyers Danny Briere and Kimmo Timonen. Fans attended a series of four panels: Flyers significant others, female team reporters, women who work within the Flyers organization, and former players. Among the noted panel guest were Amy Fadool and Taryn Hatcher from NBC Sports Philadelphia. Those in attendance received a custom Flyers puck along with a t-shirt. Fans and panelist asked whatever questions they wanted. Ranging from where they could find orange and black Uggs, to when the Flyers will be serious Stanley Cup contenders. Nothing was off limits. Along with the panels, guest took a tour of the team locker room, took photos at the media podium, and were able to take a shot on goal. The Flyers female junior team who range from ages 11-14 helped with the activities on the ice. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130692 Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers had Wednesday off and were scheduled to resume practice Thursday. They will play a home-and-home series against Detroit this weekend. ... Jake Voracek had an assist to extend his scoring streak to After early-season struggles, Flyers’ Ivan Provorov wearing it well these eight games, with three goals and seven assists for 10 points in that days span. It’s his fifth career streak of eight games or more. His career high is 10, reached in October and November of 2014. ... The Flyers were credited with 20 blocked shots; the Wild had four. In the 25 games since Scott Gordon took over as coach, Travis Sanheim’s average ice time has Sam Donnellon ballooned to 21:26. He has 11 of his 21 points in that span. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 02.14.2019 ST. PAUL, Minn. – There are things that Ivan Provorov doesn’t like to wear. A minus after a game. An excuse after it. A silly-looking motorcycle helmet with “POG” scribbled across it; although, for much of the hot streak that has elevated the Flyers into the playoff conversation, you could argue it was Provorov’s contributions on Tuesday night that were most worthy of player-of-the-game status bestowed by the players after each victory. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he said facetiously Tuesday night, after teammates coerced him to don the helmet for his interview with the media following their 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. A joke. Provorov doesn’t exactly wear too many of those either, although when someone quipped recently that the Flyers defenseman endures interviews the way most men endure trips to the dentist, he broke into a wide smile. But it hasn’t been great for him for much of this season, as reporters have tried to root out a dip in performance that all – coaches, media, fans – but he identified. Was it the lingering effects of the Grade 3 shoulder separation that left him so vulnerable in those final playoff games last season? He has said no repeatedly. Was it a change in sticks? Provorov admitted he tinkered to get comfortable with one early on but said it was no longer an issue. Was it the contract negotiations that stalled once the season began? Again, no. “I’m aware of what’s going on,” he was saying at his locker recently. “But it doesn’t affect me. I love hockey for what it is. It’s not like I love it for the paychecks. I’ve been playing the game since I was 5, and there’s nothing I’ve wanted to do more than to play hockey.” Through the first three months of the season though, there was an uncertainty and inaccuracy to his game that did not exist in his first two seasons as a pro. Some speculated that he was simply young, but Provorov’s maturity in tough situations those first seasons was the most- compelling argument against that. Perhaps it was a nagging injury incurred early on (perhaps to the left hand that he often pulled from his glove and squeezed while off the ice) that was the root of uncharacteristic soft passes from his own zone and those that badly missed their mark, even at short range. Whatever it was, it seemed to get solved by the simplest of solutions: rest and relaxation at last. Since returning with a tan from the Flyers’ eight- day bye last month, Provorov has looked more and more like his old self, culminating in a 30-minute, 19-second effort in Tuesday’s win, which followed a nearly 24-minute performance in the Flyers’ 4-1 loss to the Penguins the previous night. Provorov had a sort of defenseman’s version of a Gordie Howe hat trick on Tuesday: He scored a goal, prevented one with a stick save, and finished a plus-2 despite the heavy minutes on top of heavy minutes. “Definitely one of the toughest ones, flying three hours, getting in late,” he said. “Especially playing a fast game, after the effort we put in [against Pittsburgh]. We stuck with it today. Didn’t really have the first period we wanted, but that’s why you play the whole 60” minutes. Or, in his case, half. That’s something he will gladly wear, he said, the iron-man reputation he forged over his first two seasons, and the one he has reclaimed through the Flyers’ resurgence into the playoff hunt. “I mean, the bye week was good to get away,” Provorov said. "To recharge the batteries mentally and physically. “Physically, I put a lot of work in [in] the summer, so the 82-game season doesn’t affect me. I don’t feel tired. I don’t have weeks or days where I don’t feel as good as the other ones. But, everyone needs a mental break. When you keep doing the same thing over and over again, sometimes it’s nice to get away and turn your brain off.” Breakaways 1130693 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 02.14.2019

Flyers-Wild observations: Travis Sanheim channels Bobby Orr by Sam Donnellon,

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Here are some takeaways from the Flyers’ 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. Travis Sanheim = Bobby Orr Flyers send goalie Brian Elliott to Phantoms for conditioning The best there never was: After a record streak, a blown call ended the 1979-80 Flyers’ quest for a third Stanley Cup At least he did on Sean Couturier’s second-period goal. Sanheim took a cross-ice pass from Claude Giroux just above his blue line and, with a burst of speed, burned past Minnesota defenseman Anthony Bitetto, swooped in front, and attempted to jam a shot past Wild goalie before losing the puck. No worries. Sean Couturier was already checked in at the crease and banged home the loose puck to tie the game at 3. Sanheim’s two assists gave him 21 points this season in 57 games. Eleven of his points have come since Dec. 18, the day after Scott Gordon took over as interim Flyers coach. He is averaging 21:26 of ice time in the 25 games since. Where’s the other Travis? One night after logging just 9:51 of ice time on 15 shifts, Travis Konecny was on the ice for 10:25 on Tuesday. One possible reason: He was a minus-3 in those minutes. Particularly, Konecny was victimized on Luke Kunin’s second first-period goal, which pushed the Wild lead to 3-1. Konecny listed away from the slot toward the boards, which allowed a soft pass from behind the net to float to Kunin. Despite two assists, Shayne Gostisbehere was also a minus-3 and played just 11:24. And only 7:44 of that was at even strength. Ivan the rock Ivan Provorov played 30:19. His career high is 30:20, set Jan. 31 in Boston. He played 23:50 against the Penguins on Monday night, then boarded the three-hour flight to Minnesota. He also scored the game’s first goal and finished as a plus-2. His seeing- eye stick save on Marcus Foligno prevented the Wild from going up by 4- 1 in the first period. ``Definitely one of the toughest ones, flying three hours, getting in late,’’ he said. ``Especially playing a fast game, after the effort we put in [Monday in a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh]. We stuck with it today. Didn’t really have the first period we wanted, but that’s why you play the whole 60.’’ Or in his case, half of it. Just a Midwestern boy … from Jersey James van Riemsdyk’s two goals Tuesday give him five in two games this season against the Wild. He notched a hat trick in the Flyers’ 7-4 victory on Jan. 14, a win that began this 10-1-1 run. He also claimed his second game-winner of the season. ``Not too bad around the Central Division, I guess,’’ he said. ``Those guys are always tough to play against. And tight defensively. Even on the goals, you’re going to have to earn them.’’ JVR’s winner came after the puck hit him and dropped to the ice amid bodies, creating the ultimate scrum. ``You’re going to get crosschecked,’’ he said of the net front against the Wild. ``I think I have some comfortability in those areas. You just try to react and make a good play.’’ Odds and ends Jake Voracek had an assist to extend his scoring streak to eight games, with three goals and seven assists for 10 points in that span. It’s his fifth streak of eight games or more in his career. His best is 10 games, done in October and November of 2014. ... The Flyers were credited with 20 blocked shots. The Wild had four. Sanheim and Radko Gudas led the Flyers with four each. 1130694 Philadelphia Flyers

With deadline nearing, who is the Flyers' next trade chip?

By John Boruk and Jordan Hall February 13, 2019 4:00 PM

Going End to End today are NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Boruk and Jordan Hall. The question: Who is the Flyers' next trade chip? Boruk So far, general manager Chuck Fletcher has been the butcher with a meat cleaver, trimming the fat from the Flyers' roster by parting away with players who don't seem to fit into the GM's future plans. Fletcher has found takers for Jordan Weal, Taylor Leier, Dale Weise and Christian Folin — a quartet of players who had fallen out of favor within the organization. Aside from the obvious decision surrounding Wayne Simmonds — and I believe he will be moved before the Feb. 25 trade deadline — there are some other interesting names that could surface and be on the move, as well. I’ve touched on impending free agent Michael Raffl, a relatively inexpensive depth forward who plays big and provides an extra body on the penalty kill. With a cap hit of $2.35 million, most teams won’t have to negotiate their way around the salary cap to fit Raffl onto their roster. But if there’s a potential trade to be made within the next week, there are some decisions looming around the goaltending position. Teams know that with Brian Elliott close to returning, the Flyers will be looking to place Mike McKenna on waivers. McKenna has been claimed once (by the Flyers) and the guy he replaced, Calvin Pickard, was claimed by Arizona. For teams desperate for goalie depth, then I wouldn’t be surprised if another team took a proactive move and offered up a seventh-rounder rather than crossing its fingers, hoping a goalie might fall to it through the waiver process. With the Stars losing Ben Bishop a week ago and the Coyotes playing without Antti Raanta for much of this season, there are two potential playoff teams who could be looking for experience and depth at the goaltending position, as well. One reason to play Elliott once he’s completed his conditioning stint with the Phantoms is to see if there’s a market for the 33-year-old goalie with 45 postseason games under his belt. Playoff experience is valuable and difficult to find and if there’s a team willing to take a chance on Elliott’s recent injury history, then a late-round pick is not much to give up for a veteran goalie capable of winning a few postseason games. Hall Part of me believes we could see another defenseman on the move, which would open up a spot in the lineup for prospect Philippe Myers (see story). Radko Gudas comes to mind because he's played extremely well this season and would be a nice bottom-pair addition for a contending team looking for depth, physicality and reliability on the back end. The 28-year- old can become an unrestricted free agent after 2019-20 and his contract is reasonable ($3.35 million cap hit, $2.5 million base salary next season). However, Raffl is such an intriguing piece for buying teams when considering the factors, which makes him the next most likely trade chip. The 30-year-old is a power forward with an excellent hockey IQ, a player who utilizes his size for great puck possession, kills penalties, can play up and down the lineup and has 19 games of postseason experience. Add the fact that he's an impending UFA with a cap hit of just $2.35 million, and it simply makes sense for suitors and Fletcher, who is eyeing next season just as much as this one. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130695 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers keep defining themselves by resilience under Scott Gordon

By John Boruk February 13, 2019

Scott Gordon walked away from the podium Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center and couldn’t help but wonder if a 4-1 loss to the Penguins would be the Flyers' defining moment of the season. Quite frankly, no one knew how the Flyers would react just 24 hours later, playing the second leg of a back-to-back with a Wild team waiting and rested. Their late-night charter flight didn’t arrive in Minnesota until after 3 a.m. Eastern time, and they were simply too emotionally spent to replicate that energy level in Minnesota. But impressively, the Flyers managed to find a way in a 5-4 win over the Wild (see observations). “There’s no excuses this time of year,” Sean Couturier told reporters. “You’ve got to [go all out] every shift, every night. I thought we did that. It wasn’t easy at times. Guys battled hard and found a way to win a big hockey game. We showed some character tonight.” Performances like Tuesday’s are indeed character builders for a team still scratching and clawing to stay in the playoff chase, but much of the character rebuild can be traced back to Gordon, who’s now 14-9-3 since taking over behind the Flyers' bench. There's a belief system and a resiliency that simply didn’t exist in the first 30 games of the season under Dave Hakstol. The Flyers improved to 10- 2-1 over their last 13 games with four of those 10 victories the product of overcoming two-goal deficits. Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center, the Flyers pulled it off a second time against the Wild. The Flyers not only spotted Minnesota a 3-1 lead, they were faced with the potential of falling behind by three goals when the officials awarded the Wild a four-minute power play as Jordan Greenway caught teammate Jason Zucker with a high stick. Yet somehow defenseman Robert Hagg was the guilty party. Once the Flyers successfully killed that penalty, the emotional tide started to turn in the Flyers' direction. James van Riemsdyk scored roughly five minutes later and Couturier tied it about five minutes after that. It’s these type of comeback efforts that have been the Flyers' defining moments throughout Gordon’s interim. “As a coach, there’s different wins you have throughout the course of the season that are real gut checks and how your team responds,” Gordon said. “When a team comes in and does what they did after a heartbreaking loss, as a coach, that’s a real proud moment. That’s what I told the players. Nobody quit. Everybody stayed with it.” Gordon was forced to lean a little more on one player in particular. Ivan Provorov, the 21-year-old defenseman, logged an astounding 30:19 of ice time — the most he’s ever played in a regulation game in his career. For his ironman-like efforts, Provorov was presented the player-of-the- game helmet. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Provorov said of his new temporary headgear. A defining moment any young defenseman can get used to. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130696 Philadelphia Flyers mistake-prone than they actually were. It’s one of those games where a smart team forgoes the counting of the loot and simply gets the heck out of Dodge, thankful that the Hockey Gods smiled upon them to make up Flyers 5, Wild 4: 10 things we learned from a poor start turned comeback for what they were unable to create for themselves on the ice. victory 3: Four-minute penalty kill the turning point When Robert Hagg was whistled for a high-sticking double minor with By Charlie O'Connor Feb 13, 2019 less than two minutes remaining in the first period, it appeared to be the final nail in the Flyers’ coffin. They were already down 3-1, and the penalty call was a massive mistake by the officiating crew: Jason Zucker had actually been high-sticked by his own teammate, Jordan Greenway. When the Philadelphia Flyers fell behind 3-1 before 14 minutes of game Such an obvious injustice, had it ended in a power play goal or two, time had elapsed on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn., it certainly didn’t appear would have buried pretty much any team. to be their night. The Minnesota Wild were all over the fatigued road team, peppering goaltender Anthony Stolarz with quality chances and Instead, the Flyers stood tall, killing off the four minutes on both sides of looking poised to run away with the contest. the first two periods. Suddenly, a new path to victory opened up for Philadelphia. Yes, they were still down by two goals, but the officials Forty-six minutes later, and the Flyers were nonetheless celebrating an were fully aware that they had blown the call and almost certainly were improbable comeback victory. looking for ways to make it up to the Flyers as a result. The rest of the way, they granted Philadelphia four power plays and the Wild just one. Philadelphia shook off both the 3-1 and a later 4-3 deficit to secure a 5-4 The Flyers would score on two of them, first to cut the deficit to one goal, win and split their difficult Monday/Tuesday home/road back-to-back. and then to pot the game-winner — both courtesy of van Riemsdyk. James van Riemsdyk proved the hero, scoring twice on the power play, including the game-winning goal with 4:29 remaining. Claude Giroux, The officials would likely say that all of the penalties they called (or didn’t Sean Couturier and Ivan Provorov also scored for the Flyers, and Travis call) on the Flyers over the final two-thirds of the game were legitimate. Sanheim racked up two important assists. Stolarz earned the win despite And it would be tough to argue against the infractions of Nick Seeler and a barrage of Wild shots (39), making 35 saves, while his counterpart Ryan Suter in the third period — those were no-doubt-about-it calls. Still, Devan Dubnyk failed to hold up against a far lighter workload (21 saves it’s hard not to theorize that the officials cut the Flyers a break in the final on 26 shots). two periods, and on a night that saw Philadelphia struggle to create sustained offense at 5-on-5, they needed all the help they could get. In Note: This article will reference advanced hockey stats. If you’re looking order for that help to even matter, however, they had to kill off Hagg’s to better understand any of the referenced metrics, please read this unfair penalty in the first period, which to their credit they successfully primer, which explains the concepts behind them. did, setting up the later comeback in more ways than one. 1: Gutsy performance without their best stuff 4: Second terrible call in two nights: What can NHL do to fix issues? A home/road back-to-back with extensive travel, especially when going The Flyers may have been able to overcome and even use the blown against an opponent who didn’t play the night before, is always going to high-sticking call as a springboard for their comeback, but that doesn’t be tough sledding. Add in the fact that the first leg of this particular back- change the fact that it never should have been called at all. Especially to-back for Philadelphia was an emotional battle versus their fiercest rival coming after Monday night’s premature whistle on Nolan Patrick’s power and the second leg was against one of the league’s most stingy clubs in play goal-that-wasn’t, it’s understandable if Philadelphia fans feel there’s terms of scoring chances allowed, and the Flyers weren’t exactly in an a shadowy officiating cabal trying to keep the Flyers out of the playoffs. ideal position to steal two points from the Wild on Tuesday. HAGG RECEIVES FOUR MINUTES FOR DOING NOTHING. For large portions of this game, they looked like an overmatched team. In PIC.TWITTER.COM/IWY46GKP5V fact, over the first half of the contest, they barely appeared worthy of being on the same ice as the Wild, only staying within striking distance — BROAD STREET HOCKEY (@BROADSTHOCKEY) FEBRUARY 13, due to a fortunate bounce on an Provorov point shot, some big stops by 2019 Stolarz and solid penalty kill work. But they weren’t creating anything offensively, until van Riemsdyk seemingly woke the team up with his The truth, however, speaks less to a conspiracy and more to the flaws in power play goal nine minutes into the middle stanza, reminding the the current NHL rulebook. Technically, there isn’t a well-defined way for Flyers that yes, they could actually still win this game. officials to reverse a bad call not related to a goal, aside from internal discussion among the members of the crew. Teams are not allowed to From then on, it’s not like Philadelphia dominated the contest; Minnesota challenge bad calls, putting the onus entirely on the officials to get them continued to generate more shots and chances. But suddenly the Flyers right in the moment. were trading punches with their opponent rather than being treated like a speed bag, and as it turned out, they had a few haymakers left to throw. Frankly, this particular decision wouldn’t have been as frustrating if it Sanheim showcased his plus-plus speed on one goal; Giroux put 56.6 simply had been a bad real-time call. Those are going to happen in a games’ worth of anger and frustration into a game-tying slapshot, and sport officiated by human beings. But in this case, the officials did not then van Riemsdyk potted the winning goal through sheer muscle in front originally call a penalty, blew the play dead, and then after seeing of the net on a rebound opportunity. There was nothing pretty about this Zucker’s bleeding face, sent Hagg to the box solely due to the result of one. the play. If officials are going to miss a call in real time and then dole out punishment long after the supposed infraction due to a perceived result, But the Flyers don’t have the luxury of shooting for style points why not take an extra minute or two to determine via video evidence if an considering their deficit in the standings. Obviously, in an ideal world, after-the-fact call is actually warranted? This struck me as a case of the Philadelphia would both be outplaying and outscoring their opponents. In officials wanting to have their cake and eat it too, only to find out it was their defense, however, they did outplay the Penguins the night before, filled with poison — poison that would only harm an innocent third-party. and didn’t get the deserved result. Across the two games, the Flyers The NHL really needs a better system for dealing with situations like this. nearly broke even in terms of all-situations Expected Goals for and allowed, trailing their two opponents by just 0.18 (5.19 to 5.38). 5: Ghost’s awful game turns passable by the end Therefore, a win and a loss seem like a fair outcome to this back-to-back, even if the results probably should have been reversed. The recent struggles of Shayne Gostisbehere have been well- documented — he’s not scoring, he’s been jumped by Sanheim on the 2: To be clear, Minnesota controlled this game depth chart, he’s been involved in a number of defensive breakdowns in the last few games. But when the first period on Tuesday came to a Let’s not allow the final outcome obscure the fact that the Wild have close, it appeared that Gostisbehere had hit an entirely new low. every right to feel the same way the Flyers did following the Pittsburgh loss on Monday. While the second half of the game admittedly was less It started with an early hooking penalty that he was forced to take due to lopsided from a territorial standpoint, the Flyers never had a period where his turnover in the corner, and it only got worse from there. His turnover they controlled even 40 percent of the even-strength shot attempts. The on Minnesota’s second goal was beyond awful, seemingly a brainless Wild basically doubled them up in scoring chances. Minnesota did double attempt to one-time a pass to van Riemsdyk while in the slot area of the them up in 5-on-5 Expected Goals (2.88 to 1.12). This might be a game defensive zone, neglecting to notice that Luke Kunin, who was stationed that the Flyers will view with fondness in retrospect due to the effort in between Gostisbehere and JvR, was sure to gobble up the attempted exerted, but it shouldn’t be a process they try to replicate. feed. When Ghost then left Kunin all alone in the low slot to one-time a shot from the slot shortly thereafter, it seemed like the 25-year-old was Even as they scored goals, the Flyers never really seemed sharp, and going to almost singlehandedly giftwrap this game to the Wild. the tight checking of Minnesota — no team in the NHL allows fewer xG than the Wild — often served to make the Flyers seem even more Now, it’s not like the Shayne Gostisbehere of old returned from the first replace Vorobyev down the middle, and Bailey checked in at wing. It intermission and proceeded to light up Minnesota. He still looked didn’t take long for him to make his presence felt. tentative on entries, and flashed little of his past offensive flair on the attack or on zone exits. But given the benefit of limited ice time the rest of Originally, Provorov’s goal was actually credited to Bailey, but even if the the way — he would skate for only another 4:37 at even strength for the 23-year-old never did touch the puck, it was his work in front of the net to remainder of the contest — Ghost’s game stabilized to the point where set a screen and create general havoc that allowed for the point shot to he wasn’t an obvious liability. And that allowed him to focus on an aspect fool Dubnyk. Considering Bailey’s size/speed combo, those are the types of his play that has been lacking for over a month: his work on the power of plays he’ll need to make in order to stick in the NHL this time — he play. Twice over the final two periods, Gostisbehere was able to get a received 52 games scattered across three seasons with his previous shot through traffic from the point that resulted in a Flyers goal, first organization, the Buffalo Sabres. setting up a double Wayne Simmonds/JvR deflection goal, and then Aside from that shift, how did Bailey perform? By the numbers, he was blasting a signature Ghost Bomb on net to set up van Riemsdyk’s fine, posting a 50.00% Corsi For Percentage. But his ice time was rebound game-winner. predictably limited, considering the way the game progressed (an early Gostisbehere still isn’t anywhere close to peak form, and his ice time — deficit) and the high-stakes nature of the contest. Bailey ended up lowest on the Philadelphia defense corps by more than a minute and a receiving just 4:43 in total, not enough to deliver a truly complete half — reflects the fact that head coach Scott Gordon recognizes this. impression. Still, that first shift shows that Bailey seems to have a handle But getting Ghost going on the PP, and at least avoiding blatant mistakes on the role he’ll be expected to perform as long as he’s with the Flyers, at 5-on-5, is a good place to start when it comes to rebuilding his game. and with one play, he hinted at the possibility that he might be able to fill Hopefully the final two periods Tuesday provided something of a it. foundation for him. 9: Sanheim is such a good skater 6: Stolarz with a strange game Two or three times a game, Sanheim engineers a rush up ice, or If one wanted to argue that Anthony Stolarz was a driving force behind changes direction in the neutral zone, or simply wins a race to a loose the Flyers’ victory last night, there would be ample evidence to support puck in such a way that it serves as an immediate reminder of a simple that conclusion. And alternatively, if one wished to claim that Stolarz truth: the 22-year-old is an incredible all-around skater. On Tuesday, one never looked entirely settled and nearly gave away the game with an of those two-or-three times happened to directly result in a Flyers goal. unforgivably weak tally he allowed, that would be a justifiable It’s not the straight-line speed that is truly impressive on the above play, interpretation of his night as well. Maybe both are correct. even if Sanheim does utterly torch Anthony Bitetto on the rush. It’s his After all, the above save did happen — a flat-out robbery of Greenway ability to carve into the ice on a dime and cut right into the crease area with the score 3-1 in the Wild’s favor. Had Stolarz not gotten across to after moving at top speed while maintaining his leverage over Bitetto that make this outstanding stop, the Flyers’ comeback might never have was the true “wow” part of the sequence. The physical abilities are off the occurred. The Flyers were struggling to create much of anything up to charts. that point in the game, and considering the team-wide poor execution, Of course, Sanheim isn’t a finished product, which even the above rush watching the deficit grow to three goals may have just been a bridge too proved; he couldn’t hang onto the puck after making his powerful turn, far for a club coming off a devastating loss the night before. Instead, and needed Couturier to be there to put it home and tie the score. But the Stolarz stood tall, and the Flyers ultimately earned the victory. upside is obvious, and right now, he’s at the very least holding his own in And then, there’s the above goal, a painfully weak short-side tally that a top-pair NHL role. Whether that’s his ideal spot on a depth chart over never should be allowed by an NHL goalie, but especially not in the third the long-term remains to be seen, but at the very least, the Flyers are period of a tie game that his team desperately needs in order to stay on looking at a dynamic top-four caliber defenseman for years to come. the outskirts of the playoff conversation. 10: How do the Flyers look to improve their lineup? This is what makes Stolarz so difficult to evaluate. On one hand, he’s With Tuesday’s victory, the Flyers now are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games, fully capable of making saves like the one on Greenway, due to his high- but still sit six points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern end athleticism and massive size. It’s that upside that has some fans Conference with one more game played than the team they are chasing, clamoring for him to be penciled into the 2019-20 backup job behind the Penguins. And while their recent win/loss results have been strong Carter Hart. But he’s also prone to technical lapses like the one above, (Monday aside), one assumes that if the Flyers’ play from the first half of and it’s not a fluke that he currently holds a poor 0.902 save percentage this game persists, the chances of them racking up the necessary 34 or on the season. He’s still an up-and-down goalie, and at 25 years old, it’s so points they’d need in their final 25 games to have a real shot at the fair to wonder if that’s what he’ll always be. playoffs would be slim. In the end, however, Stolarz basically broke even on Tuesday night In other words, the coaching staff can’t be complacent in terms of relative to expectations, allowing four actual goals on nearly four extracting value from their current group of players just because the team Expected Goals (he finished with a close-to-zero -0.14 Goals Saved is currently winning games. From a territorial perspective, only the Above Average). And maybe that’s a reasonable view of Stolarz’s true Couturier line — whether with Oskar Lindblom or Giroux at left wing — is talent level at the moment — over a large sample size, he’ll win you consistently driving play. Gostisbehere is nowhere near his best. And the about as many games as he should, even if the path getting there is a bit pairing of Hagg and Radko Gudas continues to get throttled from a play- on the wild side. driving standpoint (25% Corsi last night). There are real issues with this 7: JvR-Giroux-Konecny line isn’t working lineup. This probably isn’t news to Gordon, considering how often he’s been But how to go about fixing them? The question of solving the line going to the well of putting Giroux back at wing with Couturier and Jakub combination conundrum is a tough one, since it tends to come back to a Voracek via mid-game adjustments. But the “top” line of Giroux, van question without an easy answer: Can the Flyers afford to move Giroux Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny — after a promising start together — isn’t back to wing? If yes, he could be placed on a line with the suddenly exactly functioning well as a unit. surging Patrick in an attempt to shake up the groups below the Lindblom- Couturier-Voracek trio. But that would leave 3C duties to Scott Laughton, In a little over 239 minutes of ice time together — a relatively large who the coaching staff has liked on the wing over the past few months. sample for a trio in-season — the Giroux-centered line has posted an Keeping Giroux at center, on the other hand, would allow Patrick to stay ugly 44.25% Corsi For Percentage and has lost the high-danger scoring in his more-comfortable 3C spot, but it requires Giroux to try and elevate chance battle by a whopping 56-37. There’s a reason why Giroux spent JvR and Konecny, which he hasn’t been able to do. It’s not like only about four minutes with Konecny and JvR last night and more than Simmonds, Laughton or Michael Raffl are ideal replacements for either of eight with Couturier and Voracek. One grouping was working (50.00% those wingers. Corsi, 2-0 goal differential at 5-on-5 with Couturier) and the other wasn’t (22.22% Corsi, 0-2 goal differential with Konecny and JvR). Considering As for the defense, the answer seems far more straightforward. their precarious place in the playoff race, the Flyers can’t afford to be Gostisbehere’s upside — and spot on the PP — makes him too valuable starting games with their most talented forward on a line that just isn’t to scratch for anything more than a possible brief “clear your head” clicking. break. But Andrew MacDonald and Hagg don’t bring that level of potential, making either a reasonable choice to come out of the lineup in 8: Justin Bailey makes his Flyers debut favor of Philippe Myers, who has yet to make his NHL debut. In a mild surprise, recent acquisition Justin Bailey (added in return for My preference for both situations? Try out the Giroux/Patrick duo again Taylor Leier) entered the Flyers’ lineup in place of Mikhail Vorobyev, who (either with Konecny or Simmonds at RW) and put Laughton back at 3C. took a seat after struggling to make much of a positive impact in his nine Regarding the defense, reuniting Gostisbehere with the defenseman who games since being recalled in late January. Phil Varone slid over to has been the most reliable on the unit this year (Gudas) makes sense, which would then allow for Myers to slot in on the third pair next to either Hagg or MacDonald, with one of them sitting as the odd man out. Myers may make mistakes, but his talent is worth the risk, especially because it’s not like MacDonald or Hagg is lighting the world on fire currently. The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130697 Pittsburgh Penguins

Matt Murray turns back Connor McDavid, leads Penguins past Oilers

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, 10:51 p.m.

The matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers is often billed as a battle between Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. It’s probably more apt, though, to call it a showdown between McDavid and Matt Murray. After all, the goalie’s the one taking a hands-on approach to keeping the superstar off the scoreboard. Score one for the goalie. Murray turned back McDavid on a second-period penalty shot, leading the Penguins to a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night. The Penguins have won two in a row to move three points clear in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Murray stopped 88 of the 90 shots he faced in those two victories. “I thought the penalty shot save he made on McDavid is a game changer,” coach Mike Sullivan said. With the Oilers trailing by a goal late in the second, McDavid took off on a breakaway at the tail end of a Penguins power play. He was hooked first by Jake Guentzel, then Kris Letang. On the penalty shot, McDavid slowly skated up the left wing before moving to the center of the ice. “He’s kind of carrying the puck behind him,” Murray said. “He can do pretty much anything from there. It’s tough. He can switch his angle. He can do a lot. Just try to battle. Try to stay aggressive and stay patient. Let him make the first move.” McDavid shot toward Murray’s much-maligned glove hand. The goalie snared the puck with a flourish as he flopped to his backside. “You want to be the guy who’s making saves back there for your team,” Murray said. “It feels good to do that, for sure. Hopefully gave us a little bit of momentum. I don’t know. Then you try to forget about it and move on to the next one.” While McDavid had a first-period assist and Crosby put together a handful of high-end scoring chances, Penguins goals in the marquee matchup were scored by Bryan Rust, Teddy Blueger and Jared McCann. Rust and Blueger converted in four-minute stretch of the second period to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead for the Penguins. McCann added an empty-netter with a minute left. Rust collected a puck that Matt Cullen was working with below the goal line, stepped in front of the post and backhanded in a shot before goalie Mikko Koskinen could react at the 2:30 mark. Less than four minutes later, Blueger got the puck to Kris Letang deep in the right-wing corner and took off for the net from the right point. Letang’s centering pass glanced off Koskinen’s gear, and Blueger buried a shot from the slot. Blueger, who was a healthy scratch Monday night in Philadelphia, has scored in three of the seven NHL games he has played. He didn’t think he took any of the spotlight away from McDavid and Crosby. “I don’t know. Those guys are the show, for sure,” Blueger said. “It’s the best in the world going at it. I don’t think I can take away from that.” The Penguins allowed two odd-man rushes to McDavid and linemate Leon Draisaitl in the first 10 minutes of the game. Draisaitl finished off a pass from McDavid on the first one about five minutes in after a pass from Letang to Tanner Pearson didn’t connect near the offensive blue line. Penalty shot aside, McDavid’s chances grew fewer and farther between as the game went on. “I think in our defensive zone we’re doing a real good job of defending hard,” Sullivan said. “We’re keeping plays to the perimeter. We’re defending the net front pretty well.” Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130698 Pittsburgh Penguins

Zach Aston-Reese probable, Dominik Simon likely out for Penguins vs. Oilers

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Zach Aston-Reese won’t be looking to pick any fights against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. Other than that, he’s ready to go. Out since suffering a hand injury in a Jan. 8 fight, Aston-Reese is probable to make his return to the lineup against the Oilers. “Maybe right now, just for the time being,” Aston-Reese said when asked if he’d shy away from fisticuffs. “You don’t want to reinjure it, especially coming back. I don’t know. Give it a couple weeks maybe.” Aston-Reese, who had two goals and two assists in his last six games before the injury, skated on the fourth line with Matt Cullen and Garrett Wilson at morning skate. “I’ve been doing a lot of skill work, but that’s not my game,” Aston-Reese said. “I’m excited. I’m back with Cully and Willy. I felt we had a lot of chemistry early on in the year and know how to play that grind game.” Based on morning skate personnel groupings, Teddy Blueger is also set to return to the lineup after missing Monday’s game in Philadelphia as a healthy scratch. He skated on the left side of the third line with Jared McCann and Patric Hornqvist. Dominik Simon, who has been held without a point in his past six games, will likely be a healthy scratch. Coming off a 50-save performance in Philadelphia, Matt Murray is scheduled to start in goal. Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130699 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins shelve outrage over Evgeni Malkin suspension

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, 1:30 p.m.

The way Kris Letang sees it, “screaming in the media” wouldn’t put Evgeni Malkin back in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. So he didn’t. And neither did any of his teammates. Reaction was largely muted to the news that Malkin would have to serve a one-game suspension for swinging his stick at the head of Philadelphia Flyers forward Michael Raffl on Monday night. “I didn’t really have a reaction,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “The league makes the decisions and it doesn’t really matter what I think or you think or the rest of us think. The league makes their decisions and we’re going to live by it.” In a perfect world, captain Sidney Crosby said, Malkin would have retaliated to a gloved punch he took in the back of the head from Raffl in a different way, but he knows that’s not always possible. “It’s an emotional game,” Crosby said. “You’re going to do stuff sometimes. Ideally you wouldn’t do anything but skate away, but I’m sure there are a lot of guys, myself included, that have said that a number of times and it doesn’t always work out that way.” Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130700 Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid show off individual strengths when superstars collide

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

As the face of the NHL and his heir apparent get set to face off for the sixth time in their careers Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena, a clear pattern has emerged in the one-on-one battle between Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. McDavid (3 goals, 6 assists) has decisively outscored Crosby (2 goals, 1 assist) when they’ve gone head to head, but the Penguins have beaten the Oilers in all five games. The pattern is all the more notable because of the way it defines the careers of both players to this point. McDavid, 22, is a two-time defending scoring champ, but he’s only played in 13 career playoff games. Crosby, 31, has three Stanley Cup rings and two Olympic gold medals. Crosby said he thinks McDavid is going through the natural process of learning how to win. “He’s learning on the fly and that’s normal,” Crosby said. “That’s what everyone has to do. That’s the expectation that comes with being in his position. He’s doing a great job and he’s continuing to learn. I think it’s something that over time he will go through and learn from. It takes time.” That’s a big-picture view of McDavid, of course. In the here and now, the Penguins will be facing the game’s most dangerous offensive player in a game they really need to win. They hold a one-point lead on Carolina for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. “I think there’s probably a heightened awareness, especially when he’s on the ice,” Crosby said. “You try to prepare for that, but at this time of the year, we’re focused on getting wins and part of that is preparing for who you are playing against.” Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130701 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins defense faces stern test with Olli Maatta injured, Connor McDavid in town

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

With the game’s most dangerous offensive player in town, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be breaking in a new-look defense corps. With Olli Maatta out indefinitely with an apparent shoulder injury, Chad Ruhwedel looks set to play his first NHL game since Nov. 19. Justin Schultz continues to skate with the team and is close to returning from a broken leg suffered Oct. 13, but he won’t be in the lineup against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. Coach Mike Sullivan said he couldn’t say whether Maatta’s injury could be season ending. He said the team will have more details as Maatta continues to be evaluated. “To see him go out is tough, but he’s one of the hardest workers on the team,” Schultz said. “He’ll rehab as hard as he can and try to get back as quick as he can. We’ll try to pick up the slack for him when he’s out.” The injury prompted Sullivan to shuffle the team’s defense pairs. Brian Dumoulin was back in his customary spot with Kris Letang on the first pair. Juuso Riikola skated with Jack Johnson while Ruhwedel was with Marcus Pettersson. Ruhwedel has been eighth on the depth chart of healthy defensemen for most of the season. He played 11 NHL games in October and November and his only game action since was a five-game conditioning stint with Wilkes-Barre around New Year’s. General manager Jim Rutherford has regularly praised Ruhwedel for his ability to step back in the lineup effectively even after sitting out for long stretches. “It’s just about staying physically ready and mentally ready,” Ruhwedel said. “We’ve got a good strength and conditioning staff here that helps with the physical aspect of it. Then it’s making the most out of your practices and everything to stay mentally ready.” Schultz said there’s a possibility he could play this weekend as the Penguins host the Calgary Flames on Saturday and New York Rangers on Sunday. “It’s day by day,” Schultz said. “We’re close. It’s keep working hard and doing the right things and I’ll be in there in no time.” Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130702 Pittsburgh Penguins Geaux Tigers It’s not often visiting teams get a friendly call at Rupp Arena. But 19th- ranked LSU got one last night. First call: Different take on Evgeni Malkin's stick-swing, crazy night in college hoops Kavell Bigby-Williams tip in walk off LSU (+8) wins outright! pic.twitter.com/20XrFreTEB

— BettorIQ (@BettorIQ) February 13, 2019 TIM BENZ | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 Kavell Bigby-Williams barely avoided a goaltending violation there. Officials reviewed the call and let it stand. So the Tigers beat #6 In Wednesday’s “First Call,” a different view of the Evgeni Malkin stick- Kentucky 73-71. That’s LSU’s first win in Lexington since 2009. swing. A major Canadian university hockey brawl. A completely bonkers Both clubs are now 20-4. night in college hoops. Brawl fallout A little support You may have seen this hockey fight video from Nova Scotia between At least one national voice is raising a point about Evgeni Malkin’s Acadia University and St. Francis Xavier. suspension. And it’s a good one. Meanwhile in Nova Scotia, 15 players and both head coaches are facing First off, here is the NHL Department of Player Safety video explaining suspensions after this happened on Saturday during a game between 2 why Malkin was suspended one game for swinging his stick at Michael of the major universities in the province: https://t.co/Ixjzs6dVMi Raffl of the Flyers. — Casey Ryan (@CuttingRoomMRB) February 6, 2019 ESPN’s Linda Cohn isn’t griping about a suspension for Malkin. Rather, she is upset Raffl wasn’t suspended as well. Now Sportsnet has an update on more suspensions . So Malkin gets 1 gm suspension for swinging his stick at Raffl. Raffl “Atlantic University Sport had previously handed automatic suspensions started altercation by cross checking Malkin in back followed by punch to to six Acadia players and nine from the X-Men as well as both head Malkin's head. No penalty on ice or off for Raffl. Agreed Malkin shouldn't coaches, ranging in length from two to five games, totalling 39 games. have swung stick but Raffl also should have been penalized. In a release Tuesday, AUS handed out another 36 games of — Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) February 12, 2019 suspensions to five players and four coaches, which take effect immediately.” I agree with that. But I also think Malkin’s suspension should’ve been at least four to five games. Had that been the case, it would’ve been a lot Sporstnet also found out what may have made the brawl so heated in the easier to justify benching Raffl for one — or at least fining him. first place. Mad as a Wolverine “(Acadia’s Rodney) Southam had told Sam Studnicka of St. F.X. he ‘looked like a rapist,’ which prompted the melee. Southam later issued a The Penn State basketball team pulled off a major upset, stunning sixth- statement saying he was unaware that Studnicka has a sexual assault ranked Michigan 75-69. survivor in his family.” Lamarr Stevens scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. But the Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 highlight of the game was Wolverine head coach John Beilein getting ejected as halftime began. Things are not going as planned for Michigan in Happy Valley. First @PennStateMBB hits a buzzer-beater to go up 40-27 at the break, then John Beilein gets tossed with two quick technical fouls: pic.twitter.com/Kjj88kbqSV — (@BigTenNetwork) February 13, 2019 Beilein was hit with back-to-back technicals as the first half ended, with his team down 27-40. The ejection was Beilein’s first as Michigan’s coach. He claims it’s just his second ever, and the last one was in the late 1970s. They were down HOW much?! Duke looked extremely human last night. They trailed by 23 points on the road at Louisville with 10 minutes left. But the Blue Devils stormed back to win 71-69. With less than 10 minutes left in the game, Louisville was up 59-36. Duke went on to outscore the Cards 35-10 and leave with a W! What a comeback! #HereComesDuke ( @DukeMBB ) pic.twitter.com/trFCl2n0Ir — ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) February 13, 2019 Freshman star Zion Williamson finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. How did @DukeMBB come back from 23 down?Coach K 'don't coach losers' pic.twitter.com/7PJrPuZQZ1 — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 13, 2019 Believe it or not, it isn’t even the largest comeback in school history. According to the Raleigh News and Observer, the Blue Devils rallied from 31 points down in the second half to beat Tulane 74-72 in 1950 . Here’s what the win probability chart looked like.

Never a doubt. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/96UEOw09jX

— Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 13, 2019 Pretty sure I’ve never seen that before. The second-ranked Blue Devils are now 22-2. 1130703 Pittsburgh Penguins

Tim Benz, Mark Spector discuss Penguins, Oilers matchup; Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby comparisons

TIM BENZ | Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019

Tonight at PPG Paints Arena, it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Edmonton Oilers. Faceoff is at 8 p.m. It’s Sidney Crosby vs. Connor McDavid. Sportsnet.ca columnist Mark Spector joins me on the Sided.co podcast to talk about the matchup. • Why has Edmonton struggled so much this year? • Where is McDavid in year four of his career compared to Crosby? • Can Leon Draisaitl become the Evgeni Malkin to McDavid’s Crosby? • Does McDavid have the personality to own the “face of the league” title Crosby has carried? • Mark gives his thoughts on the Penguins and their standing in the East as well. All that and more hockey here: Tribune Review LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130704 Pittsburgh Penguins And for someone like Blueger, he’s doing everything possible to make those decisions as difficult as possible.

“We’ve known he’s a guy who can be a good defensive player,” Sullivan Teddy Blueger has made ‘a pretty strong argument’ to stay with said. “Whether he could bring an offensive dimension at this level Penguins remains to be seen. He’s made a pretty strong argument for himself at this point.” Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019

Before the Penguins played the Flyers on Monday at Wells Fargo Center, coach Mike Sullivan sat down with Teddy Blueger and began a fairly difficult conversation, explaining to the 24-year-old forward why he’d be sitting out after scoring twice in his first six NHL games. Re-inserted into the lineup Wednesday, Blueger made the most of his opportunity and did his best to avoid a similar chat this weekend, when Evgeni Malkin will return from a one-game suspension and another tough lineup decision will have to be made. In the Penguins’ 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at PPG Paints Arena, Blueger scored his third goal in seven NHL games, further stating his case to stick around and become a permanent part of the big club’s plans. “It’s big,” Blueger said of his second-period goal and what it did for his confidence. “It helps to fit in a little more, feel like you’re contributing and helping the team win.” Taking shifts at left wing on the third line, Blueger logged 13:42 of ice time and finished with a plus-1 rating. He attempted two shots, put one on goal and had four hits. Possession-wise, Blueger was over 50 percent in five-on-five shot attempts, scoring chances and high-danger chances. “Teddy has made a strong case for himself,” Sullivan said. “He’s played extremely well.” Well enough? That much remains to be seen. But having someone like Blueger come up and make an impact should not be discounted, as it wasn’t long ago that Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel were making a quick transition to the AHL to the NHL and injecting some life into the Penguins. — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 14, 2019 Whether it’s seeing a young guy who’s naturally naive and so excited about everything or having veterans worry some about their job security, there are plenty of benefits to having this sort of thing happen. You also need to have guys out-perform their contracts, which those three did with aplomb. It was one of the key factors in the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons. “I just told [Blueger] to control what he can, trust us, and he’s going to be a part of this thing,” Sullivan said. “He’s a real good player. We can play him on the wing. We can play him at center. He’s another guy who’s a real good penalty killer. He’s a good 200-foot player. The fact that he’s chipped in offensively and scored some goals for us has been a huge bonus.” Blueger’s goal Wednesday came on a really smart play by him. After dishing to Kris Letang, Blueger found a crease in front of the net and buried a loose puck that Letang smartly sent off Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen. While many players his age often don’t think enough to take such a route, it was instinctive for Blueger, who has seemingly had little issue getting his offense to translate to the NHL level. “I feel like I played pretty well,” Blueger said. “Obviously there’s still some nuances and stuff to learn and get better at. Overall, the game is slowing down game-by-game. I’m feeling more and more comfortable out there.” Saturday should say a lot about Blueger’s situation. In one sense, he’s done everything possible to stay in the lineup. It would seem borderline crazy to yank him out after another goal. But who comes out? The fourth line of Matt Cullen, Zach Aston-Reese and Garrett Wilson was really good. Tanner Pearson has one goal in his past 13 games, but that’s a lot of money on the bench. No way you’re taking out Patric Hornqvist, who has no points in his past 10. Dealing with something like this, though, is a welcomed problem. It’s like having too much starting pitching in baseball. As difficult as they are, Sullivan wants to have these conversations with Blueger or any other young player, explaining why his lineup is competitive. 1130705 Pittsburgh Penguins

Matt Murray denies Connor McDavid on penalty shot, stands tall in another Penguins win

Matt Vensel Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The fastest skater in the NHL had suddenly become its slowest. The Penguins were up a goal and on a power play late in the second period of Wednesday’s 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers when Connor McDavid split their defense and had to be lassoed by Kris Letang. The Penguins faithful lustily booed when the penalty shot was awarded. They did not stop as McDavid sized up Matt Murray then picked up the puck at center ice, beginning his slow descent toward the net. By the time he got there, it was surprising anyone’s vocal cords were still intact. It took McDavid six seconds and 10 stick-handles to complete his circuitous route from center red, around the left faceoff dot outside the Pittsburgh blue line then all the way to the bottom of the right circle. Murray has seen this approach before, along with its seemingly limitless possibilities, including during the quick video review the Penguins do before every game. He tried to tune everything out and stay in the moment. Back in Pittsburgh after his 50 save game and @mattmurray_30 is continuing to impress. pic.twitter.com/Gi2xRMgHK6 — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 14, 2019 “He’s really good at the move he did there, where he comes in on his forehand and drags it to the middle. He’s kind of carrying the puck behind him and can do pretty much anything from there,” he said. “I just tried to battle … and stay patient and let him make the first move.” Murray did not commit, nor did he get lulled to sleep, when McDavid pulled the puck to his forehand between the hashmarks. With a second flick of the wrists, McDavid took aim at Murray’s supposed weak spot. Murray was in tremendous position, so he didn’t need to move his glove much to flag down McDavid’s shot. But as Murray slid to his backside, he added a little something extra, letting everyone know he had it. “He’s got a hundred different moves in his arsenal. He’s the best player in the world,” said Murray, adding – unconvincingly – that he “got lucky.” Coach Mike Sullivan called the save “a game-changer.” Sidney Crosby said it was a “turning point,” preventing “a big shift in momentum.” PPG Paints Arena went wild as Murray hopped to his skates, calmly handed the puck to the ref and gave his left post a quick tap with his stick. “You want to be the guy who is making saves back there for your team. It feels good,” he said. “Then you just try to forget about it and move on.” Here’s guessing that Murray didn’t forget about that one. Still, to his point, there would be more pucks fired his way before the Penguins picked up two more critical points in the standings. He strained to keep his left pad extended on another save on McDavid during the third. Later, he got a piece of Zack Kassian’s rising shot. He made a dozen saves in that period and finished the night with 38. In his two starts since returning from an upper-body injury that kept him out of the starting lineup for six days, he stopped 88 of 90 shots, including a career-high 50 saves during Monday’s 4-1 win in Philadelphia. Consistency has been an issue for Murray this season when healthy and in the lineup. But these last two wins serve as reminders of what he is capable of when at his peak, especially in the biggest of moments. “He made some very timely saves,” Brian Dumoulin said. “He’s playing great right now. It’s fun to play in front of him. He’s such a competitor. We all believe in him, and he’s been playing great.” Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130706 Pittsburgh Penguins Mike Sullivan rarely, if ever, has any qualms about matching power against power, so it was no surprise that Crosby’s line played against McDavid’s for much of the evening. And, as generally is the case, the Dave Molinari’s Penguins Report Card: Penguins 3, Edmonton 1 Penguins’ No. 1 line did no worse than break even. Nonetheless, Sullivan regularly used all four lines, with Garrett Wilson (9:08) the only forward who didn’t reach double-digits in ice time. Returning Kessel to the No. 1 power play seemed to give that unit a spark, although it again failed to Dave Molinari Pittsburgh Post-Gazette score. And while it’s hard to say whether it was a tactical adjustment by the coaching staff or simply a reflection of increased interest and better

execution by the players, the Penguins had a more aggressive and (After every Penguins home game, the Post-Gazette will assess how effective forecheck during the second period, when they scored twice. each unit performed and what it means during the playoff push.) Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 FORWARDS Grade: B. Sidney Crosby of the Penguins and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid are prominent in any discussion of the NHL’s top players, and it was easy to see why. Although both were held to one assist, they were dangerous almost every time they went over the boards. Crosby and his linemates, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, played against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who rival any 1-2 punch in the league, and rose to the challenge. Teddy Blueger scored his first game-winning goal in the NHL and showed again why management should tell him to begin house- hunting in western Pennsylvania. Zach Aston-Reese had a solid return after missing 13 games because of injury and added a dimension to the fourth line, which was matched against McDavid’s unit when Crosby’s line was not and performed well in that role. DEFENSEMEN Grade: B. The top pairing of Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin drew the assignment of neutralizing McDavid’s line, as expected, and handled that duty well. Although there were times when Letang didn’t seem to adjust his game to reflect the speed and skill of the line against whom he was being deployed, his willingness to be aggressive offensively – he had a game- high nine shots on goal – led to Teddy Blueger’s game-winner, which Letang set up by throwing the puck to the front of the net from behind the goal line. Dumoulin, as usual, was excellent in his own zone. With Olli Maatta out of the lineup indefinitely because of an injury, Chad Ruhwedel dressed for his first NHL game since Nov. 19 and acquitted himself nicely alongside Jack Johnson on the third pairing. Ruhwedel played 19:45 and was credited with four hits and four blocked shots. Johnson tied for the team lead with six hits, including the biggest of the game, as he flattened Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. GOALIE Grade: A. Matt Murray, coming off an outstanding 50-save effort during a 4-1 victory in Philadelphia Wednesday, turned aside 38 shots by the Oilers, with the most impressive – and most important – coming when he denied McDavid on a penalty shot at 17:25 of the second period, with the Penguins protecting a 2-1 lead. The only shot that eluded him came from the inner edge of the left circle by Draisaitl, who was set up by McDavid on a two-on-one break against Dumoulin after Letang got caught behind the play. His teammates might want to reduce Murray’s workload a bit – he’s faced 90 shots in the past two games – but Murray is looking like the goalie the Penguins will need him to be if they’re expecting to make more than a cursory appearance in the playoffs. SPECIAL TEAMS Grade: B+. Subpar special-teams play has cost the Penguins a number of points this season, but their penalty-kill might have gotten them one or two in this game. The Oilers were up, 1-0, early in the second period when Penguins winger Tanner Pearson was penalized for closing his hand on the puck (throwing it, actually). Just 35 seconds into that power play, Rust and Matt Cullen capped an inspired shorthanded shift by having Rust toss in a backhander from near the right post to tie the game. Phil Kessel rejoined the top power-play unit, which had a solid start to its only try, keeping play in the Edmonton zone for the first 63 seconds of that man-advantage. As Adam Larsson’s elbowing penalty was winding down, however, Draisaitl hit McDavid with a breakaway pass, which led to Letang hooking McDavid and setting up his penalty shot. The Penguins have not scored on their past 22 power plays at home, a slump that continues to defy logic. COACHING Grade: B. 1130707 Pittsburgh Penguins “They don’t,” he said. Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 Joe Starkey: Is Sidney Crosby still the best player in the world? Yes, and I’ll tell you why

Joe Starkey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Look, it’s not easy to make a case for a guy who’s 23 points off the NHL scoring lead as the best player in the world. I’m not looking for easy. I’m looking for right. The “best player” question arises because the Edmonton Oilers were in town Wednesday. Which means Connor McDavid was in town (which means your defensemen should probably avoid ill-advised pinches while he’s on the ice). And while NHL scoring leader Nikita Kucherov and a few others could probably qualify as the current “best player,” I’m going to narrow it to McDavid and Sidney Crosby, and I’m going to start with a question of my own: Do you value all 200 feet of ice? If you do — if you value the defensive side of the sport — then Crosby’s your guy. He followed the path of his childhood idol, Steve Yzerman, by radically expanding his game in the 30s phase of his career. Crosby is killing penalties these days. He has makes a significant difference on the Penguins’ kill. He also is a legitimate candidate for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. And he’s not exactly slacking on the offensive end. Going into Wednesday’s game, he had 24 goals and 65 points in 53 games. He’s a hot two weeks away from vaulting himself into the top 10. Crosby and McDavid didn’t fill the scoresheet Wednesday, but each could have if teammates had finished brilliant plays. You saw their respective styles on full display — McDavid’s ability to make plays at the speed of light and Sid’s incredible vision and passing ability in the offensive zone. The two took turns turns puttin’ on the ritz, whether it was Crosby dropping a between-the-skates-pass to Kris Letang or McDavid pirouetting at full speed as he received a pass at the Penguins blue line, then nearly scoring on a high-velocity backhander. McDavid was awarded a penalty shot at 17:25 of the second period — a Crosby turnover set him up — only to see Matt Murray rob him with a glove save. It also marked the first time I’d seen McDavid skate slowly. McDavid is the best offensive player in the game. A monster. Early in Wednesday’s game, he started stride for stride up ice with Bryan Rust — who isn’t slow — and quickly made him look like Krzysztof Oliwa. He’s on pace for 120 points. He is the two-time defending scoring champ and the most exciting player around. But there is more to the game than points and speed. Listen to Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock, who spoke Wednesday morning on the differences between his guy and Crosby. Hitchcock spoke of the stuff only hockey people see. First, he mentioned Crosby’s unmatched cerebral acumen. “Sid thinks at a level, when the other team has the puck, that’s above anybody in the league,” Hitchcock said. “His thinking on the ice when the other team has the puck is so elite that he knows when to pick it off and when to freeze people.” Then came the critical piece relating to this discussion — and this had to be Hitchcock delivering a message to McDavid, who didn’t exactly bathe himself in glory on Teddy Blueger’s second-period goal (“McDavid’s controller disconnected,” wrote one observer on Twitter). “Sid thinks (the game) defensively, too,” Hitchcock said. “He’s got both going. That’s what Connor is going to get to.” Winning counts for something, and Crosby has now won all six meetings with McDavid. Resume counts for something, too, and this is how Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock put it earlier this season, in comparing Crosby to the NHL’s young guns, notably McDavid: “I think one guy's got two Olympic gold medals and three Stanley Cups.” Somebody asked about the other guys. 1130708 Pittsburgh Penguins “He’s getting better and better with each game he played,” Sullivan said. “We’re really excited to have him.”

McCann wasn’t alone in making the bottom-six stronger, either. It’s an Star showdown features much, much more for Penguins area the Penguins know they need to improve before playoffs, and things are coming together nicely. Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Not only with the third-line center spot, but Matt Cullen, Zach Aston- Reese — in his first game back from a left hand injury — and Garrett Wilson were tremendous as a fourth line. Connor McDavid did what many expected him to do in the first period. Their sustained pressure and ability to spell Crosby’s line against After that, the Penguins did what they needed to do the rest of the way. McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zack Kassian was a big reason why the Penguins were able to grind things to a halt after a rocky first 10 minutes. Add it up, and the Penguins walked out of PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over the Oilers, one notable for a variety of “When we play well defensively and get our chances, we can win 3-1 and reasons. that’s important, especially going into this time of the year headed down the stretch,” Murray said. “The game tends to tighten up. Teams aren’t “We got better and better as the game went on,” Matt Murray said. opening up much and don’t give up too many chances. We have to be “That’s what you want to see.” comfortable playing in games like that.” With McDavid making his only visit to Pittsburgh this season, the easy Around the boards storyline for Wednesday’s game was McDavid — widely regarded as the NHL’s best player — versus Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby improved to 6-0 all-time against McDavid. … The Penguins have points in 17 consecutive games against Edmonton (14-0-3), the longest Missing Evgeni Malkin (suspension) and playing their first game without stretch by either team in the history of the series. … Pittsburgh is 7-0-1 in Olli Maatta (shoulder), the Penguins got goals from a couple of key its last eight games against the Oilers at PPG Paints Arena. sources and another strong performance from Murray to pick up two points over a struggling team. Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 As a result, the Penguins (30-20-7) kept pace in an ever-tightening Metropolitan Division. Both the Penguins and Blue Jackets have 67 points, although Columbus has played two fewer games. The Penguins have won their past two games, allowing one goal in each. “I know that’s been an area of emphasis, especially in our past couple weeks,” Brian Dumoulin said of tightening up the defense. “We know we can get a little stingier defensively and make them work harder for their chances. I think we’ve been doing that. There’s still a little bit to go here, but we’re definitely making progress.” The play of the game came at 17:25 of the second, when Kris Letang hooked McDavid on a breakaway. McDavid was awarded a penalty shot and swung wide, but Murray made the stop with his catching glove, snapping it high in the air for a few extra style points. “I thought the penalty shot save he made on McDavid was a game- changer,” coach Mike Sullivan. Murray stopped 38 of 39 to earn the win, although he’s probably the biggest name among the Penguins players who shined on this night. — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 14, 2019 For as much as this was supposed to be about superstar vs. superstar, the Penguins showed they’re considerably deeper than the struggling Oilers. That started early in the second period via Bryan Rust’s short-handed goal, which made it 1-1 after McDavid’s terrific setup on the Oilers’ first goal. Dumoulin got the Penguins going with a smart stick play to steal the puck from McDavid. Rust’s original shot attempt sailed wide, but Matt Cullen tracked down the rebound and got it back to Rust, who converted for his 16th goal of the season. “First shot was kind of embarrassing,” Rust said. “Stayed with it. Cully made a nice play. I was able to kind of sneak it in there.” It was the sixth short-handed goal for the Penguins in the past 15 games and their ninth of the season, putting them on pace for 12. That would be their best single-season total since scoring 13 in 2010-11. The Penguins surged ahead, 2-1, on a goal from Teddy Blueger at 6:10 of the second period, the third for Blueger in seven NHL games. In his return to the lineup after (curiously) spending Monday as a healthy scratch, Blueger certainly made the most of his opportunity. Letang started the play with a terrific play from the corner, intentionally banking the puck off Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen to the front of the net. Blueger smartly went there and reaped the reward. “I gave [Letang] the puck and tried to get lost a little bit in the slot area,” Blueger said. “It was a really fortunate bounce for it to come straight to me like that.” Tallying a late, empty-net goal was Jared McCann, who suddenly has three in his last four. Since acquiring McCann from Florida, he’s shown an instant comfort centering the Penguins third line. 1130709 Pittsburgh Penguins Schultz said “it’s tough” to sit and watch games now that he’s practicing. But he said he has to “make the smart decision” about when he gets back in the lineup. He traveled with the Penguins on their recent road Penguins turn to Chad Ruhwedel with Olli Maatta out; Justin Schultz not trip, in part because there was a realistic chance he might return at some quite ready point, he said. “I think [the decision is] up to me,” he said. “I’ll know. I know my body. I’ll know when I feel comfortable out there and confident in the leg and I’ll be Matt Vensel Pittsburgh Post-Gazette able to play at this level. It’s just day by day. Each day is feeling better. So it’s soon.”

With some of the reporters who covered him during his Edmonton days When Justin Schultz finally took the ice with his teammates Jan. 30, it in town, he recounted being in shock after he crumpled in the corner in looked like the Penguins would soon be able to reunite him with Olli Montreal back in October, the grueling process of building back up the Maatta, giving them a strong second pair and creating a trickle-down muscle in his left leg and skating again after the longest layoff of his life. effect through the rest of their defensive corps. “It’s amazing, if you’re off that long, how hard it is to get it back,” he said. Schultz could now clearly see on the horizon his return from the gruesome injury he suffered Oct. 13, which required a plate be inserted Now, with his return imminent, Schultz will be watching Maatta, his into his fractured lower left leg. All that was left was getting his legs back former partner and his buddy off the ice, trying to work his way back from and, perhaps more important, his confidence. his shoulder injury. Exactly two weeks later, Schultz is “close” to suiting up for a game but “He’s a big part of this team. And to see him going out is tough,” he said. not quite ready to do so Wednesday when the Penguins host Connor “But he’s one of the hardest workers on the team. He’ll rehab as hard as McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Maybe this weekend, he said, when he can and try to get back as quick as he can. We’ll try to pick up the they have home games Saturday and Sunday. slack for him when he’s out.” In the meantime, Schultz and Maatta are back together – on injured Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 reserve. The loss of Maatta, who suffered a separation of his left shoulder in Monday’s 4-1 victory in Philadelphia, is another blow to the Penguins blue line, leaving them short of another top-four defender and down an important special-teams contributor. “He’s a very good player,” coach Mike Sullivan said, citing his courage chasing pucks, his breakout passes, his hockey sense and the fact Maatta plays big minutes on the penalty kill and was on the second power play. “He has an impact on so many different aspects of our game. He’s tough to replace.” Maatta, who averaged more than 18 minutes per game, was injured during an awkward first-period collision with Flyers winger Phil Varone. Both players jostled while chasing a puck in the Penguins zone. Varone shoved Maatta, who lost his balance and tumbled into the boards, hitting his left shoulder. An industry source told the Post-Gazette on Tuesday that Maatta, who headed to the locker room at Wells Fargo Center and did not return to the game, is expected to miss at least a month. The Penguins hope the injury will heal without surgery. Asked Wednesday if the injury could be season-ending, Sullivan replied, “Right now, he’s out indefinitely and as he gets evaluated we’ll probably have more details.” With Maatta and Schultz both on injured reserve, the Penguins in the short term must turn to Chad Ruhwedel, who hasn’t played an NHL game since Nov. 19. Late last month, the Penguins, with Schultz about to get back on the ice, felt so good about their depth they dealt Jamie Oleksiak back to Dallas for a draft pick. With rookie Juuso Riikola finding his footing in December, Oleksiak was often a healthy scratch. Ruhwedel, meanwhile, was sent to the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint because, as the eighth man on the depth chart, he wasn’t playing at all. He played five games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, putting up five points and a plus-8 rating, before the Penguins recalled him in early January. “Got a lot of minutes down there, and that definitely helped shake off the cobwebs,” Ruhwedel said. “Going to have to do the same [against the Oilers].” Ruhwedel has gone long stretches between games in the past, and his ability to step back in and play OK is one reason the Penguins have kept him around. The key, he said, is staying in shape, staying engaged mentally and staying positive. “Rudy’s so good at preparing himself,” Sidney Crosby said. “I think that he’s shown he can step right in. He plays a pretty simple game, but he’s really effective. So, like anything, when you lose guys, other guys need to step up.” During Wednesday’s morning skate, Ruhwedel was paired with Marcus Pettersson. Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin were back together, leaving Jack Johnson to take Maatta’s spot next to Riikola, though Johnson was skating on the right side. 1130710 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins goalies give nod to Steelers with Stadium Series masks

Adam Bittner Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Matt Murray unveiled his mask for the Penguins' Stadium Series game in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Penguins goalies are once again paying homage to the Steelers as they prepare to play an outdoor game in a football venue. Matt Murray and Casey DeSmith on Wednesday unveiled their masks for their team’s Feb. 23 Stadium Series matchup against the Flyers at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, and references to the hometown football team are obvious.

Matt Murray's #StadiumSeries mask  pic.twitter.com/gZLKjB7XtO — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 12, 2019

Love the new look on Casey DeSmith's as well  pic.twitter.com/KaRZBl4P94 — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 12, 2019 The penguin and snowflakes on Murray’s mask draw the eye, but the yellow stripe down the middle is an unmistakable reference to the Steelers’ iconic helmets. Murray used a similar look for the 2017 Stadium Series game at Heinz Field, and former goalie Marc-Andre Fleury tried his own take on the helmets in Chicago back in 2014. DeSmith’s helmet, meanwhile, includes a depiction of Steelers mascot Steely McBeam kicking a football. It’s a bit unfortunate symbolically, considering the Steelers scored just a field goal in their last visit to Philly, a 34-3 drubbing against the Eagles in 2016. But we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130711 Pittsburgh Penguins With the Penguins one for 20 on the power play during a nine-game stretch before Wednesday, what was Sullivan’s message in putting the top guys back together? Penguins (mostly) mum on missing Malkin “To score goals,” said Hornqvist, who entered Wednesday’s game without a point in his past nine. Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Coffey talk Former Penguins defenseman Paul Coffey was back in town because of his role as an Oilers skills and development coach. The last one of his The Penguins didn’t have Evgeni Malkin against Connor McDavid’s Penguins records, however, has fallen. Edmonton Oilers Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena, but the local hockey club refused to spend time crying over a suspended Russian. Letang knocked that one off in Philly, scoring his 109th career goal. Letang is now the Penguins leader in games played, goals, assists and “It’s not my call,” Kris Letang said of the one-game suspension Malkin points by a defenseman in the regular season and playoffs. incurred Tuesday for swinging his stick like a sword at Philadelphia’s Michael Raffl. “So I don’t care.” Letang also has a huge amount of admiration for Coffey, whom he considers a friend. “It doesn’t matter what I think, you think or anyone else thinks,” coach Mike Sullivan added. “The league makes its decisions, and we’re going “He brought huge things to me, especially early on, having chats about to live by it.” the mental aspect of the game, what it is to play with guys like Geno and Sid,” Letang said. “He had the chance to play with Mario [Lemieux] and While Penguins players didn’t want to say much about the suspension — [Wayne] Gretzky. “I have no comment on that,” Patric Hornqvist said — Sidney Crosby did sympathize with Malkin. “It’s not always technical. It’s more mindset going into games and coaching.” They’ve all been there before, Crosby said, in so many words describing Raffl punching Malkin in the back of the head and setting him off. Sid vs. McDavid The lesson here is for Malkin, who now has two of the five match Funny moment from Crosby’s media scrum Wednesday morning: He was penalties that have been handed out this season, to better keep his cool. asked about McDavid and how his game has matured since he first broke into the NHL. “It’s an emotional game,” Crosby said. “You’re going to do stuff sometimes. Ideally you wouldn’t do anything; you’d skate away. “He’s been pretty good since the start. It’s hard to really get better from there,” Crosby said. “If it’s possible, he’s done that. He’s been so “I’m sure there’s a lot of guys — myself included — who’ve said that a consistent and found different ways to produce. Every part of his game is number of times. It doesn’t always work out that way.” so dangerous. It’s pretty hard to stop him.” Without Malkin, Nick Bjugstad centered a second line with Tanner As a rookie, McDavid had 48 points in 45 games despite missing Pearson and Phil Kessel. basically three months. The next year, McDavid was the only NHL player to reach triple digits in points, with 100. Losing Malkin for a game did come at an unfortunate time for him. In a season where Malkin has struggled to find his game, this is now the Post Gazette LOADED: 02.14.2019 second time where he’s had progress interrupted. After he was physically engaged and solid against the Lightning on Jan. 30, Malkin suffered an upper-body injury that night courtesy of a hit from Lightning defenseman Dan Girardi, missing the next five games. In Philly, Malkin’s line had a positive five-on-five possession number in a game where the Penguins controlled just 43.5 percent of the shot attempts. Kessel, Bjugstad and Malkin led the team in scoring chances, too. “It’s unfortunate,” Crosby said. “It was a big boost for us to get Geno back in the lineup. You could tell that. It was great to see him feeling good. It’s tough to see that he’s going to be out [Wednesday].” Aston-Reese returns Zach Aston-Reese returned to the Penguins’ lineup after a 13-game absence, joining a fourth line with Matt Cullen and Garrett Wilson. “I’m excited,” Aston-Reese said after morning skate. “I’m back with Cully and Willy. I thought we had a lot of chemistry earlier in the year, playing that grind game.” When Aston-Reese hurt his hand in a fight with Florida’s Colton Sceviour on Jan. 8 — not a punch; Sceviour landed on it — Aston-Reese was feeling good offensively. Although he didn’t have a point that night or the previous game, Aston- Reese was coming off a four-game point streak where he scored a pair of goals. “I wouldn’t say I was at the top of my game, but I was definitely starting to figure it out offensively, how to get some points and things like that,” Aston-Reese said. “Hopefully I didn’t lose too much.” That will be key, too, on the power play, where Aston-Reese took Dominik Simon’s spot on the second unit. With three goals in his past 33 games, Simon was a healthy scratch. Top unit back Speaking of the power play, Sullivan re-assembled the top unit after using two separate ones Monday against the Flyers. That meant Kessel was back with Crosby, Letang, Hornqvist and Guentzel. 1130712 Pittsburgh Penguins • Aston-Reese, before breaking his hand last month, was coming into his own in a big way. If that continues, he could be a very valuable player for these Penguins. In a game that showcased stars, perhaps Penguins found their bottom • Wilson has long been considered a long shot to remain in the lineup six when the Penguins get healthy, but it’s difficult to deny how well he’s played. He’s been very sound defensively, adds a physical element and has produced considerable scoring chances, even if he’s buried just one By Josh Yohe Feb 13, 2019 of them. The third line isn’t without intrigue as well. Connor McDavid played more than 25 minutes against the Penguins on Jared McCann centered Patric Hornqvist and Teddy Blueger. McCann Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena, including more than nine even- finished off the game with an empty netter, his third goal with the strength minutes in the third period as the Oilers attempted to tie the Penguins. Blueger also scored, notching his third goal in seven games at game. the NHL level. Sidney Crosby shut him down for a portion of those minutes. When A couple of sources told me earlier this week that, when the Penguins Crosby wasn’t going head to head with Edmonton’s top line, the recalled Blueger two weeks ago, the initial belief was that sending him Penguins turned to an old friend to silence the electric McDavid. back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was likely. However, his play has so impressed the coaching staff and management that he is retaining a spot Time and time again, Matt Cullen and the Penguins’ fourth line snuffed in the lineup even though he was a healthy scratch in Philadelphia on McDavid and his furious rushes through the neutral zone, helping the Monday. And why not? He’s been terrific. Penguins preserve their advantage in a solid 3-1 win against the Oilers. The other player on the third line was Patric Hornqvist and, while his “When you think of defensive responsibility,” Crosby said, “you think of streak without a point reached an unimaginable 10 games, history says Cully.” he will be effective no matter which line he settles on. Cullen probably enjoyed his finest game of the season. He recorded two Dominic Simon was a healthy scratch and, given how well the bottom-six glorious scoring chances in the first period but was unable to beat played and given that Evgeni Malkin will return on Saturday against the goaltender Mikko Koskinen. Early in the second, Cullen produced Flames after missing Wednesday’s game with a suspension, it’s difficult perhaps his finest shift of the season while penalty killing, ultimately to imagine Simon being reinserted back into the lineup this weekend. setting up Bryan Rust’s short-handed tally. Could Tanner Pearson be the odd man out of the lineup when Malkin On two occasions later in the evening, McDavid zoomed through the returns this weekend? It’s possible should the Penguins wish to keep the neutral zone as only he can, approaching the Penguins’ blue line at the bottom six intact. Pearson failed to register a shot against the Oilers, the speed of light. On both attempts, the young superstar had the puck taken fifth time in his past nine games in which he hasn’t managed to produce away by Cullen. a shot on goal. His play has declined significantly since he scored four goals in a five-game span in early January. “I thought he was absolutely awesome tonight,” Zach Aston-Reese said. “Obviously it’s no easy thing playing against someone like McDavid. But Sullivan has many difficult upcoming choices regarding his lineup. One he got the job done in a big way.” thing is certain: His bottom-six played a terrific game against the Oilers. Cullen, in particular, was outstanding and the fourth line had the look of a Cullen and the fourth line received significant work in the third period. unit that deserves to stay together. There have been occasions this season when the Penguins have shortened the bench while protecting a lead. Instead, on this night, “I’m going to give Cully a hard time for not burying that one in the first Cullen saw more than five minutes of ice time at even strength in the final period,” Aston-Reese said of a Cullen opportunity early in the game. “I’ll period, frequently playing against McDavid’s unit. let him hear it. But seriously, I thought our line was good tonight, and I thought he was the guy who led the way. He played a great game.” Sullivan wasn’t shy about deploying his fourth line in such situations. In fact, it was part of his plan. Ten postgame observations “I thought he (Cullen) played a great game,” Sullivan said. “His line, in • For the second game in a row, Matt Murray was outstanding. He particular, played a great game.” stopped 38 of 39 shots against the Oilers and has stopped 88 of 90 shots since returning to the lineup in Philadelphia on Monday. While the Cullen played with Garrett Wilson and Aston-Reese. The trio was season started poorly for Murray, his record is now 17-9-1. Not so bad. If exceptional throughout the evening despite the difficult assignment. you’re interested in judging goals on victories more than you are specific Wilson and his long reach were particularly noticeable against an Oilers stats likes goals against average or save percentage, Murray is your guy. team that loves to score on the rush. Aston-Reese dished out five hits His all-time regular season record is now 85-37-9. His penchant for and was effective in his first game in more than a month. Then, there was winning in the postseason goes without saying, as he has amassed a 28- Cullen, who was something of a force at both ends of the rink. 15 postseason record while winning the Stanley Cup twice. Murray’s rebound control has been excellent since returning to the lineup. His All in all, it was quite a performance from the fourth line. positioning looks perfect. Whatever ailed him early in the season is unclear, but Murray appears to have found himself. Needless to say, this Sullivan explained, in rather great detail, his thinking behind this line’s is a big deal. deployment. • What a moment it was in the second period when McDavid was hooked “We did use him (Cullen) against McDavid’s line if we didn’t use Sid’s and given a penalty shot against Murray. It was absolutely the right call, line,” Sullivan explained. “We thought that line had the makings of being by the way. McDavid is hockey’s fastest player but chose the methodical, sound defensively. (Cullen) is so smart. Zach Aston-Reese had a real Patrick Kane approach on his penalty shot. This has been successful for strong game coming back having not played in quite some time. He McDavid in the past, but this time, Murray snagged McDavid’s wrist shot played really well. (Wilson) is a guy that is just a north-south guy that with his glove. The crowd was on its feet during the entire sequence. I defends hard, blocks shots, is good on the wall and has good awareness. asked Murray after the game if he had faced McDavid on a breakaway We used that line on occasion when we thought we wanted to give Sid’s during practice drills when they were teammates for Team North America line a break. There were a couple of opportunities we tried to free up in the World Cup of Hockey two years ago. In classic Murray fashion, he Sid’s line with an offensive zone faceoff or things of that nature. When said “maybe” and then dismissed the question. When Murray answers those types of circumstances presented themselves, we used (Cullen’s) questions in such ways, you know he’s feeling good about himself. line. I thought his line did a great job.” • If you appreciate hockey, you surely appreciate watching McDavid The plan worked. Along the way, the Penguins may have found a skate. There is no one else quite like him. In the history of the game, I’m bottom-six configuration that works. not sure that there is anyone quite like him. To see him play in person is Should the fourth line remain intact, it’s worth noting that there could be to be mesmerized. I was chatting with Olli Maatta in the press box during some upside there: the game and commented that McDavid’s speed from the press box is something to see. Maatta responded with a grin, “He’s even faster when • Cullen has a long history of elevating his play and his production level you’re out there on the ice. Trust me.” McDavid only comes to town once late in the regular season and into the postseason. It’s the middle of a season. I don’t say this about many players, but he is worth the price of February. It’s just about the time when he always begins to play better, admission. and he hasn’t been bad. • That said, Crosby was pretty exceptional in this game, too. I’m not sure that his work down low has ever been better. He’s shrugging of defensemen as if they are flies these days. Perhaps his best sequence occurred late in the third period. It was Crosby vs. McDavid behind the Edmonton net. McDavid tried to get the puck away from him, but that wasn’t about to happen. Crosby’s brute strength was simply too much for McDavid. While McDavid is clearly hockey’s best player on the rush, Crosby is clearly the game’s greatest player down low. Crosby was robbed on a couple of occasions by Koskinen and could have produced far more than the one point he received in this game. He’s locked in right now and, frankly, has been since November. • If you watch Jake Guentzel play long enough, you notice little subtleties in his game. Sullivan often speaks of players having a high hockey IQ, and it’s so evident in Guentzel’s game. He also has been markedly better defensively during the past couple of months. He made a wonderful play on McDavid, who was standing on the doorstep, to help prevent a goal. What a player this guy is. • Rust now has 16 goals. This is impressive in its own right and a new career high. But let’s not forget, entering the Penguins’ game in Chicago on Dec. 12, he has one goal. So, that’s 15 goals for Rust in his past 27 games. Two of them have been short-handed tallies as he and Cullen have showcased some serious chemistry while killing penalties. Sure, Rust is aided by playing many of these games on Crosby’s line. But I’d also suggest that Crosby has been aided by playing with Rust, who has been outstanding. • I mentioned Maatta earlier, and indeed he took the game in from the press box. His left arm was in a sling, protecting his separated shoulder. To repeat my report from one night earlier, I’ve been told that Maatta has a Grade 3 shoulder separation. The Penguins are hopeful surgery won’t be required and, if the injury improves naturally, there is significant hope that Maatta will be ready before the playoffs begin in the second week of April. He is expected to miss a minimum of one month. • Jack Johnson played one of his best games in a Penguins’ sweater. Yes, he has struggled lately, no question. But he was excellent against the Oilers and was a physical force, delivering a game-high six hits and playing a sound game defensively. Give credit where it is due. The Penguins need Johnson to be better, especially with Maatta out of the lineup, and he was on Wednesday. • It was an interesting night for Letang. He was trapped early in the first period, allowing McDavid to set up Leon Draisaitl for Edmonton’s only goal on a 2-on-1 rush. Later in the first period, Letang was trapped again, allowing the Oilers to partake in another odd-man rush. However, from that point on, Letang was marvelous. He produced a ridiculous nine shots on goal and played quite well against McDavid the rest of the evening. Letang was on the ice for all four goals scored in this game. • The Penguins allowed 39 shots, which isn’t a becoming number. But they were pretty good in the final two periods. While the shots against are an issue, the Penguins are starting to play better situational hockey and may have found some lineup combinations that work. Plus, they get Malkin back starting on Saturday. They didn’t play poorly in those two losses on the Florida swing. While they certainly are capable of more, I wouldn’t be surprised if this team starts to heat up. Some good signs are starting to become evident. The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130713 San Jose Sharks The wide-open result not only ended a three-game losing streak but gave the Sharks a chance to feel good going into the NHL all-star break.

“We needed that one for our confidence,” Sharks center Logan Couture Timeline for Erik Karlsson’s return clears up slightly said. “We didn’t want that slide to continue. We were able to salvage a couple of points from that road trip that wasn’t a great trip. But it definitely helped us.” By Curtis Pashelka | PUBLISHED: February 13, 2019 Since then the Sharks have allowed two goals in five straight games. The Capitals are 4-2-1 since the all-star break. SAN JOSE — Defenseman Erik Karlsson is moving closer to a return to “It was a big win for a bunch of reasons,” DeBoer said. “We were the Sharks’ lineup. obviously floundering and we were running on fumes heading into the break. The win and the way we won set up our break so we could enjoy Karlsson, out for the last eight games with a lower body injury, was a full it. If we had gone in with another loss, we probably would have dragged participant in Wednesday’s practice and wasn’t ruled out for Thursday’s that around for at least a few days before the break.” game at SAP Center against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Sharks coach Pete DeBoer told KNBR on ▪ Center Dylan Gambrell practiced Wednesday after he missed Monday’s Wednesday morning that Karlsson was suffering from a groin strain. game in Vancouver with a flu bug. He said he’ll be available to play against the Capitals if DeBoer decides he wants him in the lineup. “Just been doing stuff off the ice to try to fix the problem that I’ve had,” Karlsson said. “I feel like it’s time to push it forward a bit and test the San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 02.14.2019 waters a bit. It’s still day-to-day and it felt decently good out there.” Karlsson stayed off of his skates for the duration of the Sharks’ four- game road trip through Western Canada, which San Jose swept as it combined to outscore Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver 20- 8. The Sharks will see how Karlsson feels Thursday morning before they determine whether he’s available to play against the Capitals. The Sharks next play Saturday at home against Vancouver. “It’s kind of a weird thing. It’s something that I haven’t dealt with before, that’s why I didn’t really know how to approach it,” Karlsson said. “Luckily I have a great team around here, great physio and people who know how to deal with it in the best possible way. I think that’s what we’re doing and that’s why I was able to skate today fairly normal.” Like at the start of the regular season, Karlsson was paired with Marc- Edouard Vlasic on Wednesday. Brenden Dillon was paired with Justin Braun and Brent Burns skated with Radim Simek. Karlsson and Vlasic remained together for just the first eight-plus games of the season, as Karlsson attempted to find a comfort zone in his new environment and Vlasic experienced one of the few extended dips in his game in his 13-year career. Vlasic last month was also sidelined for 10 games with an upper body injury. The Sharks went 6-3-3 in October and entered December with a 12-9-5 record. Both Vlasic and Karlsson — and their teammates — are in a better place now, though. In five games since his return to the Sharks’ lineup on Feb. 2, Vlasic has an assist, a plus-two rating and six blocked shots as he’s averaged 21 minutes and 15 seconds of ice time. In 20 games from Dec. 2 to Jan. 16, playing alongside Dillon for the most part, Karlsson had 28 points and was a plus-16. “They played together early in the year, and our whole team was still trying to find its way,” DeBoer said. “It wasn’t just that that pair wasn’t working, our lines weren’t working and we weren’t in a good place as a team. We were still trying to find our footing. “I don’t put a lot of stock in that. You’ve got two world-class players that should be able to complement each other. If they can’t, we’ve got lots of other options.” “We’re trying to find a way to be successful for the time being and as right now, if it’s going to be me and (Vlasic) and the other four together, that’s how it’s going to be,” Karlsson said. “Hopefully we can find some chemistry there and make that work.” The Sharks lost their first two of their eight games without Karlsson, but will carry a six-game win streak into Thursday as they’ve moved into first place in the Pacific Division. “It’s getting better every day and it’s nice to be able to finally practice with the guys,” Karlsson said. “It’s been a long couple of weeks and at the same time, the team was doing so well that it’s made it a little bit easier for me.” Asked if his appearance in the NHL All-Star Game led to a setback of any sorts, Karlsson said, “By no means would I have played in it if it could have risked anything. It didn’t so, it all worked out for the best.” ▪ The Sharks’ six game win streak started against the Capitals on Jan. 22, as they erased a two-goal deficit in the third period and later earned a 7-6 win on Tomas Hertl’s overtime goal. 1130714 San Jose Sharks But Matthews’ decision to sign for less than the $12.5-million annual average salary being earned by Connor McDavid takes the air out of this theory. The market’s ceiling is now set at $11.6 million. Thoughts: how Sharks’ Brent Burns pulled ahead in the Norris Trophy If Matthews had allowed himself to reach the market, he might have race received offers in the ballpark of $13- or $14-million per year, triggering a Besides leading NHL defensemen in scoring, he has kept Sharks thriving trickle-down effect across the NHL. It would have made it impossible for despite the absence of Erik Karlsson the Maple Leafs to sign both Mathews and Mitch Marner, putting another high-impact restricted free agent on the market.

This scenario offered the Sharks a potential Plan B in the event that By Paul Gackle Karlsson leaves as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Now, G.M. Doug Wilson’s choices will be more narrow, jacking up the stakes in his negotiations with Karlsson, the two-time Norris Trophy winner. SAN JOSE — As the Sharks rise in the Western Conference standings, a On the bright side, Meier’s next contract is becoming more and more key member of their team has pulled ahead in his own race for a piece of affordable by the day. After scoring 18 goals in his first 30 games, Meier significant hardware. appeared to be on the verge of earning an extension in the ballpark of $6-8 million per year. Brent Burns took the driver’s seat in the Norris Trophy race during the Sharks 4-0 road trip through Western Canada, adding six points to a total But with just two goals in his last 23 games, it’s hard to imagine that that is tops among NHL defensemen. Meier will command more than the $5.625 million per year that Tomas Hertl is making after signing an extension with the club last summer. The numbers speak for themselves. With 63 points in 57 games, Burns is Hertl ranks second on the Sharks in goal (26) and points (53). Meier will on pace to become the first blue liner in 25 years to hit the 90-point mark, need to catch fire down the stretch if he wants a deal north of $6 million a feat last accomplished by Hall of Famer Ray Bourque in an era of wide- per year this summer. open scoring. In addition, Burns is on track to record 75 assists, a number that hasn’t been reached by a defenseman since Sergei Zubov 3. Pete DeBoer shared a Joe Thornton story last week that didn’t fit in racked up 77 helpers during the 1993-94 season. with any of the pieces I wrote about him during the Sharks road trip, so I’ll pass it forward here. But Burns’ emergence as the Norris Trophy frontrunner is less about numbers and more a reflection of how he has anchored the Sharks blue At a team dinner in Canada, DeBoer noticed how Thornton went out of line during a season of fluctuation, which includes Erik Karlsson’s recent his way to work Dylan Gambrell into conversations, making sure the eight-game absence because of a lower-body injury. rookie forward felt like part of the group. We all know what it’s like to be the new guy at work, a circumstance that must be even more intimidating At the end of the day, Karlsson’s injury could be the variable that tips the when you’re a 22-year-old rookie surrounded by accomplished stars, scale in Burns’ favor when writers vote for the league’s top defensemen such as Thornton, Burns, Pavelski, Logan Couture and . in April. We’ve all heard about Thornton’s work ethic, his fun personality, the Keep in mind, Burns finished third in the Professional Hockey Writers’ accountability that he brings to the group. But this little window gives us a Association’s midseason awards for a couple of reasons. Though Burns sliver of insight into why the culture in the Sharks dressing room is so led NHL defensemen in scoring at the all-star break, Mark Giordano of strong. the Calgary Flames and Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs benefitted from playing in Canada, where you gain everyday exposure to Thornton knows how to bring a team together and it starts with the a larger pool of writers. Second, he likely lost some votes skating on a recognition that the 12th forward on the bench is just as important as the blue line with Karlsson, who accumulated 36 points in 29 games between first. Add top-five greatest guys to Thornton’s list of remarkable NHL Nov. 13 and Jan. 16, leading NHL defenseman in scoring during that achievements. span. The hot stretch included a run in which Karlsson picked up points in 14 straight games, scoring a goal while amassing 24 assists. In doing San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 02.14.2019 so, Karlsson became just the fifth defenseman in NHL history to earn assists in 14 straight games. As a voter, it was hard to name Burns as the NHL’s best defenseman in the first half when his teammate was arguably even better. But Karlsson’s injury alters the portrait significantly. At this point, you can break the Sharks season down into three segments: the adjustment phase; Karlsson’s run of dominance; and the post-injury period. Burns has been the constant variable on the Sharks blue line throughout. He delivered when the Sharks were adapting to a new style with Karlsson early in the season. He formed an unparalleled one-two punch with Karlsson once the affable Swede settled into his new home. Now, he’s leading the pack in Karlsson’s absence. Burns helped lift the Sharks to victory in Winnipeg on Feb. 5, allowing his team to steal a road win in the Western Conference’s toughest barn by stripping the puck from Patrik Laine in overtime and hitting Joe Pavelski with a perfect cross-ice pass for the game-winner. Two nights later, he played a major role in the Sharks revenge win over the Calgary Flames, gobbling up three points and scoring a goal after he stole the puck from Sam Bennett, the villain who gave Burns’s defensive partner, Radim Simek, a concussion with a questionable hit on Dec. 31. The Sharks are 7-2-1 in 10 games without Karlsson this season. In those games, Burns has scored three goals and picked up nine assists. In the end, Giordano and Rielly will still garner a lot of attention playing on Canadian teams, but the Norris is now Burns’ trophy to win or lose. 2. Auston Matthews $58-million contract extension with the Maple Leafs will be felt across the NHL, including San Jose. Matthews’ decision to sign a deal with an $11.6-million average annual salary puts to rest the idea of an upcoming “Summer of the Offer Sheet.” With so many impactful restricted free agents set to hit the market this offseason, including Sharks power forward Timo Meier, many hockey pundits envisioned a summer of anarchy with clubs dishing out big- money offers in an effort to scoop up one of the difference-making players that are changing the face of the game. 1130715 San Jose Sharks

Sharks can take advantage of topsy-turvy Pacific Division down stretch

By Marcus White February 13, 2019

Headed into the final 25 games of the season, the Sharks are in a familiar place, but under unfamiliar circumstances. San Jose leads the Pacific Division 57 games into its season for the second time in four years under coach Peter DeBoer. That’s yet to translate into a division crown, but the team has been in this spot at this point in the season before. The rest of the Pacific? Well, it’s a bit of a mess. The Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes, recent cellar-dwellers, are on the wild-card bubble. The Calgary Flames, who seemingly have been tethered to said bubble in recent years, are nipping at the Sharks’ heels (fins?). The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, perpetual playoff teams, are more likely to lose for (projected No. 1 overall pick Jack) Hughes than chase down a postseason berth. The former might or might not trade their prized free-agent acquisition after all of eight months, and the latter is being coached by a general manager who is also a first-time NHL coach. The Vegas Golden Knights, meanwhile, are pretty much locked into the third and final divisional spot and coach Gerard Gallant recently raised concerns about complacency. As Pro Hockey Talk’s James O’Brien noted, that’s not too abnormal … until you realize a team in its second year of existence is headed for a second consecutive playoff berth. Oh, and the Edmonton Oilers are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. At least something isn’t out of the ordinary. Amid the topsy-turvy nature of the Pacific, the Sharks are on arguably their best run of the season. They’ve won 13 of 16 since the start of the new calendar year, and own the NHL’s longest active winning streak. Their underlying numbers are holding up, too. Since Jan. 1, San Jose is also no worse than 10th in any of the major five-on-five puck possession metrics by Natural Stat Trick’s tally, and is seventh in Corsica’s expected- goals measure. The Sharks likely won’t continue to win 81 percent of their games the rest of the way, but staying hot and capitalizing on the division’s chaos will be especially important down the stretch. For one, San Jose could secure home-ice advantage in the first round for the first time under DeBoer. That would be a nice bonus for a team that has advanced to the second round in two of the last three seasons without it, and ensures a decisive seventh game would be played at SAP Center -- where the Sharks are 18-4-4. But San Jose’s aspirations should not stop there. Winning the division for the first time in eight years, and the Western Conference for the first time in nine, would give the team a more favorable path through the playoffs. By winning the division, the Sharks would likely avoid a first-round dogfight with the Golden Knights. Vegas remains a formidable puck- possession team despite recently hitting the skids, and has challenged San Jose over the last two seasons. A matchup in the second round, or avoiding one entirely, would be far more amenable for a deep playoff run. That’s not to say playing a Wild Card team would be a cakewalk. The St. Louis Blues are surging, and the Minnesota Wild are a strong possession team in their own right. This being the NHL, a league over which parity reigns above all else, first-round “upsets” are simply par for the course. Yet as things stand right now, that looks to be an easier route in the postseason. Second place in the Pacific could mean playing Vegas and Calgary in the first two rounds, followed by whoever emerges from a likely Winnipeg Jets-Nashville Predators bloodbath in the Central Division. The Sharks are in position to set up a preferable playoff path, in part because of the division’s aforementioned turbulence. Nearly one-third of their remaining games are against teams in the Pacific, and that includes a home back-to-back against Vegas and Calgary at the end of March. If they can take advantage of these rather unfamiliar circumstances, they should end up on an easier road to the ultimate goal of the Stanley Cup. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130716 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' Erik Karlsson discusses injury, recovery after return to practice

By Chelena Goldman February 13, 2019

Sharks fans may have been frustrated that Erik Karlsson was sidelined with an unspecified injury. But nobody has been more frustrated with it than Karlsson himself. The two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman was a full participant in Sharks’ morning skate on Wednesday. Afterward, he told the media the wait to get back out there hasn’t been easy. “I think no matter what, you always have that itch when you’re out,” he said. “It’s one of the worst feelings you could have.” No. 65, who has missed eight games dating back to a January 19 contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning, said he hadn’t skated since the team went on the road last week, but was working off the ice as he recovered. In his return to practice on Wednesday, he was paired with Marc- Edouard Vlasic and filed onto the first power-play unit. “It’s nice to finally practice with the guys,” he said. “It’s been a long couple of weeks.” Karlsson wouldn’t specify what the injury was – Sharks’ coach Peter DeBoer offered up some specifics in a radio interview earlier that morning – but did say it’s an ailment he hasn’t dealt with in the past. “Kind of a weird thing and something I haven’t dealt with before,” he admitted. “I didn’t really know how to approach it. Luckily, we have a great team around here and great people around here who know how to deal with it the best possible way.” Although being sidelined has been difficult, Karlsson said there are some upsides to getting the time to rest and recuperate at this time during the season. “Rest is a privilege, even though it’s not fun it also comes with a few benefits,” he said. “Hopefully my body’s going to feel better now than it normally would have at this time of year if I would’ve been playing all those games.” It doesn’t hurt, either, that the Sharks have played well while Karlsson has been sidelined. They’ve gone 6-2-0 over that eight-game span, with all six of those wins occurring in a row. Watching the team do so well, particularly on a tough road trip through Western Canada, has helped Karlsson feel like he hasn’t had to rush his recovery process. “I’ve watched every bit of it and it’s fun to see,” he said. “It actually does make it a little bit easier when the guys are doing well and winning games. It makes you feel like you don’t have to rush things and force things, which has been kind of nice.” Karlsson is still considered day-to-day and hasn’t been given the go- ahead yet to return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Washington Capitals. He remains hopeful, however, that he’ll make a return soon. “Today was a step in the right direction,” he summarized. “Hopefully I can take another one tomorrow." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130717 San Jose Sharks

NHL rumors: Sharks not expected to make big splash at trade deadline

By Marcus White February 13, 2019

The Sharks might not need to do all that much before the NHL's trade deadline on Feb. 25. They entered Wednesday in a tie atop the Western Conference after winning six in a row, and 13 of 16 since Jan. 1. Defenseman Marc- Edouard Vlasic is back in the lineup, and All-Star blue liner Erik Karlsson is also close to returning. Plus, San Jose has more scoring depth than just about anyone else this season, as statistician Darin Stephens noted on Monday. With Kevin Labanc's goal, #SJSharks are now the first team this season to have ten players with 10+ goals. SJ had 11 with 10+ goals last season. Team record is 12 in 1993-94. #SJSvsVAN — Darin Stephens (@SharksStats) February 12, 2019 There are still just under two weeks until the deadline, but satisfaction with that depth reportedly is a recipe for the Sharks to steer clear of the trade market's bigger names. San Jose general manager Doug Wilson will "look at" adding "a medium piece," The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on Monday. "[The] futures [Wilson] gave up for Evander Kane a year ago plus Karlsson before this season this time around at the deadline for San Jose," LeBrun wrote. The Sharks are currently without a first-round pick in the next two NHL drafts as a result of those trades, and won't have one in 2021 either if they make the Stanley Cup Final and Karlsson is re-signed. San Jose also gave up two of its top forward prospects (Josh Norris and Rudolfs Balcers) in the Karlsson trade. Plus, there's the matter of salary-cap space. The Sharks are projected to have just over $5.3 million in cap space at the deadline, according CapFriendly. They're projected to have less space than the Calgary Flames (almost $7 million), Vegas Golden Knights (nearly $16.5 million), Winnipeg Jets (nearly $27.5 million) and Nashville Predators (just over $29 million) when the deadline rolls around, meaning they can't take on as much salary as their peers at the top of the West without sending out contracts the other way. San Jose is also facing a summer where Karlsson and captain Joe Pavelski will become unrestricted free agents, and promising winger Timo Meier hits restricted free agency. Cap space will be at a premium, as will the ability to integrate prospects with manageable cap hits. Still, Wilson historically hasn't been one to sit on the sidelines around the deadline, especially when his team is contending. But barring a swoon down the stretch, he likely won't have the same urgency as other years this time around. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130718 San Jose Sharks Further, DeBoer correctly said on Wednesday that the team as a whole is playing much better now than it was in October.

“(Karlsson and Vlasic) played together early in the year, and I think our Sharks will welcome back Erik Karlsson, while Brenden Dillon’s whole team was still trying to find its way. It wasn’t just that pair that development gives Sharks options on defense wasn’t working, our lines weren’t working,” said the coach. “We weren’t in a good place as a team. We were still trying to find our footing.” By Kevin Kurz Feb 13, 2019 He has no issue putting them back together now, though. “You’ve got two world-class players that should be able to complement each other,” DeBoer said. “If they can’t, we’ve got lots of other options.” Erik Karlsson has seen what every other Sharks fan has seen lately, as the team has reeled off six consecutive wins without the two-time Norris While the decision about the defense pairs might not be a simple one, it’s Trophy winner, who has not played in eight games since Jan. 16 due to a not something that DeBoer is likely to lose sleep over. After all, the groin strain. That includes a sweep of a four-game road trip through Sharks still have perhaps the deepest defense core in the league, and Canada against Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. the road trip showed that they can move some pieces around and still be effective. “I’ve watched every bit of it, and it’s fun to see,” Karlsson said Wednesday at Sharks Ice, moments after his first full practice in nearly a While guys like Karlsson, Burns and Vlasic get the bulk of the attention, it month. “It does actually make it a little bit easier to watch when you know might be Dillon’s development, in particular, that has given the coach the guys are playing so well and winning games. It makes you feel like such flexibility. you don’t have to rush things and force things, which has been kind of Dillon and Braun were outstanding together on the road trip, often playing nice. I think that overall it’s been going as well as it possibly could both against the other team’s top line. When the Sharks were in Edmonton for me, and the guys on the ice.” last Saturday, for example, Connor McDavid saw more ice time against It’s uncertain whether Karlsson will play on Thursday, when the Sharks Braun (8:40) and Dillon (8:13) than anyone else. The league’s best open a three-game homestand, against the Washington Capitals, player was held to just one shot and no points in the Sharks’ comfortable although he indicated he wasn’t hindered at all through the approximately 5-2 win. one-hour practice session. What neither the Sharks nor the player Regarding Dillon, DeBoer said: “I don’t think there’s any defenseman himself will do is rush him back into the lineup, as the team is in first who has taken as many steps as he has over my time here. He’s adding place in the Western Conference and Pacific Division with 75 points. layers to his game every year that he’s here. He wants to learn, he wants A groin strain — as revealed by head coach Pete DeBoer during an to get better, he’s always asking for more. He’s really starting to come interview Wednesday morning with local radio station KNBR — is not into his own as a defenseman.” something that Karlsson has previously dealt with in his career. It’s also Dillon’s work ethic has been well documented over the years, as the an injury in hockey that can reoccur if not treated properly. defenseman is often the last player off of the ice in practice. That “That’s why I don’t really know how to approach it,” he said. “Luckily, I includes on Wednesday, in the Sharks’ first skate since flying back from have a great (medical) team around here … and people around that Vancouver on Monday night, as Dillon spent about 20 more minutes on know how to deal with it in the best possible way. That’s what we’ve been the ice after some of his teammates began filtering off. doing, and that’s why I’ve been able to skate today fairly normal.” After the 2016 Stanley Cup Final in which he and partner Roman Polak The 28-year-old also put to bed any speculation that he might have had trouble containing the speedy Penguins, Dillon made it a priority to aggravated the injury by taking part in the All-Star Game and skills work on his skating. He got noticeably quicker in 2016-17. competition in San Jose on Jan. 25-26. But he hasn’t stopped there. He focused on becoming more dangerous “It being here in San Jose, that was something that I wanted to be a part offensively last season, and posted a career high 22 points in 2017-18. of,” Karlsson said. “It’s an important moment for this organization and this This past summer, he wanted to focus on having a “better stick, and community, and I’m happy that I got the chance to participate in it. By no having some more awareness defensively,” he said in January. means would I have played in it if it could have risked anything, and it “Whether you’re Sidney Crosby, or playing your first year, there are little didn’t. It all worked out for the best.” things you can get better at,” Dillon said. It certainly did. While the Sharks will obviously welcome Karlsson back Dillon has one goal and 17 assists this season, on pace for 22, which into the lineup whenever he’s ready, the team is playing some of its best would equal his career high. He’s also sporting a team-leading +22 hockey of the season. The Sharks have allowed just two goals in each of rating, while still leading the team in hits, too, with 135. their first five games after the All-Star break (10 total) while scoring 23. They are getting goals from each of their scoring lines, the goaltending While he’s probably benefitted from spending most of the season so far has been excellent and the defensive breakdowns have been few and far with Karlsson, including a 60.83 shot-attempt percentage when paired between. with him, Dillon’s been just fine without Karlsson, too. Dillon’s shot- attempt percentage dips to 56.38 without Karlsson, but he’s been on the That leaves DeBoer with a decision to make about how to deploy his ice for 19 even-strength goals and 13 against. defense pairs when everyone on the back end is healthy. On Wednesday, Karlsson was with the improving Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Even if he plays with Braun moving forward, there’s no reason to think while Brenden Dillon and Justin Braun remained together. Brent Burns that Dillon won’t continue to be effective. and Radim Simek rounded out the top six. “We’ll see where we go with the pairs, but it’s nice to know when you Reuniting Karlsson with Vlasic has been a much-debated topic, mostly have guys that are the quality of guys we have, you can move people because of the struggles that the Vlasic-Braun pair was having through around and I don’t think there’s major adjustments,” DeBoer said. “We’ve the first half, but also because the possession numbers of Karlsson- got the luxury of some real good depth there.” Vlasic were so strong. The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 When playing together, the Karlsson-Vlasic pair has a 59.47 shot-attempt percentage (Corsi), while Vlasic’s percentage drops to 46.04 without Karlsson. The Vlasic-Braun pair has just a 45.77 shot-attempt percentage, and has been outscored 23-15 at even strength (all numbers courtesy of Natural Stat Trick). Karlsson and Vlasic played the first few weeks of the season together before they were broken up to start the third period of a game in Nashville on Oct. 23. The Sharks stormed back from a 4-2 deficit to win that game, 5-4, and Karlsson and Vlasic have not started a game together since. Still, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. While the possession numbers of Karlsson-Vlasic were strong, the team was outscored 11-8 at even strength when they were on the ice together. Opposing forwards were getting to the front of the net much too easily before DeBoer broke them up. 1130719 St Louis Blues Some of those minutes went to the fourth line. Mackenzie MacEachern played 10 minutes, 11 seconds, which may not seem like a lot, but it was his high total in his 12-game NHL career. Blues look to distance themselves from the pack For the first time all season, no Blues forward had has many as 20 shifts or as much as 17 minutes of ice time. Jim Thomas St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019

GLENDALE, ARIZ. • The Blues are viewing their three-game road swing, which starts Thursday against Arizona, as Separation Weekend. “Coming into this month, we knew it was gonna be a hard month,” defenseman Jay Bouwmeester said. “We’ve done a pretty good job so far, but I think now we’re getting into the games where you’re against teams that are right around you. “They’re obviously big because you can kind of separate yourselves a little bit. And they’re gonna be desperate knowing everyone’s kind of in that mix.” The Arizona Coyotes (25-26-5) are six points behind the Blues (28-22-5) in the Western Conference playoff race with 55 points. Saturday’s opponent, the Colorado Avalanche (22-23-11), also have 55 points. Sunday’s foe, the Minnesota Wild (27-25-5), are right behind the Blues in the second wild-card spot with 59 points. “All the teams right now, it’s kinda crunch time,” captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “So we’re expecting playoff hockey in every game.” The NHL standings are posted in the Blues’ team meeting room in St. Louis, so it’s easy enough to get the lay of the land in terms of who you’re chasing — and who’s chasing you. Vince Dunn claims he hasn’t looked at an out-of-town score yet this season. Even Pietrangelo says he pays attention to the standings and scores on an “on-and-off” basis. “I just know this is a big weekend for us to kind of push ahead of the teams below us,” Pietrangelo said. PLUS-6 PETRO As the 8-3 rout of the New Jersey Devils was unfolding Tuesday night at Enterprise Center, Pietrangelo got a sense that he and defensive partner Joel Edmundson were on the ice for a lot of Blues goals. Even so, he was surprised to look at the scoresheet after the game and see that he was plus-6 for the evening. “Six is a lot,” Pietrangelo said. “I don’t know if I had a whole lot to do with all of them. I guess I’ll take it.” As such, Pietrangelo made a bit of Blues history. He became one of just five players in franchise history to post a plus-6 or better in a regular- season game. It’s the first time it has happened since 1980, when Rick LaPointe and Bill Stewart both were plus-6. The franchise record is plus-7 by Red Berenson, and yes, it came on Nov. 7, 1968 against Philadelphia when he scored a franchise record six goals. Edmundson finished at plus-5 against the Devils. INJURY UPDATE Following the New Jersey game Tuesday, interim coach Craig Berube expressed some hope that forward David Perron (upper-body injury) might join the team at some point during this trip. The prognosis changed for the worse following Wednesday’s practice at the Ice Zone in Hazelwood. “Right now, I don’t expect him to be on the trip,” Berube said. Perron last played Jan. 17 in Boston and remains on the injured reserve list; the Blues are 8-1 without him. Perron was not on the ice for Wednesday’s practice. Neither was Alexander Steen, but he was just taking a maintenance day. Everyone else practiced, including defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (upper body), who has missed the past four games. Gunnarsson is with the team on this trip, and Berube described him as day-to-day. PLAYING TIME FOR ALL With the Blues leading 6-1 after two periods against the Devils, Berube eased the workload on his top lines. For example, members of the Brayden Schenn-Ryan O’Reilly-Vladimir Tarasenko line each got only four shifts in the third period. 1130720 St Louis Blues

Preview: Blues at Arizona

Jim Thomas

Blues at Coyotes When, where • 8 p.m. Thursday, Gila River Arena TV, radio • Fox Sports Midwest, KMOX (1120 AM) About the Coyotes • Playing Arizona isn’t the optimal way to get the Blues’ struggling power play going. The Coyotes have the NHL’s top penalty-killing unit (85.2 percent) and are second in the league in short- handed goals (12). With Antii Ranta sidelined with a lower-body injury, Darcy Kuemper has been strong in goal. He is 8-2-3 in the new year with a .920 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average in those games. Forwards Michael Grabner and Nick Schmaltz also are sidelined with injuries, taking away some of the Coyotes’ firepower. At age 20, St. Louisan Clayton Keller became the youngest player in franchise history to make the All-Star Game. He leads the Coyotes with 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists. — Jim Thomas St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130721 St Louis Blues mix it up with Nashville players in the game Saturday — “I’ve got to get my nose in there when I can and get the boys riled up whenever I get the chance,” he said after the game — and knows that it’s doing the dirty MacEachern, fourth line playing first-rate for Blues work that’s going to keep him around. Against New Jersey, he made Barbashev’s first goal happen when he came in on the forecheck while goalie Keith Kinkaid played the puck Tom Timmermann behind his goal. Kinkaid saw MacEachern coming and turned and played the puck in the other direction, right to Thomas, whose shot was blocked, but Barbashev was there to put in the rebound. After the Blues beat Nashville on Saturday at Enterprise Center, the team “That’s an instance where I just try to make room for those two,” said had to head to the airport to fly to Nashville for the return meeting MacEachern, who got his goal on a breakaway that showed his Sunday. But first, rookie forward Mackenzie MacEachern was told he had quickness. “They’re both very skilled players. I just try and do what I do to see Ryan Miller, the Blues’ director of hockey operations. best and go from there.” MacEachern may have been in the NHL for only a month, but he knows a The reward for MacEachern has been an extended stay in the NHL, a thing or two about how the league works. He knew there was talk about stay that figures to keep going for a bit. forward David Perron coming back off the injured reserve list. He knew the Blues were at the roster limit. If Perron was coming back, someone “I don’t want to say my life’s changed too much,” he said. “I’m still playing would have to go. He went there expecting what he called “the worst- hockey as a job. It’s a little different, you’re at a higher level. Every day case scenario,” that he was being sent back to San Antonio. counts, every minute counts, so trying to be consistent is probably the biggest thing that’s changed. I’m just trying to be the best I can every Turns out he was wrong. MacEachern was needed to sign his new day.” contract, a one-year, one-way, $750,000 deal. With that done, he went to the airport. And off the ice? “I guess I was the pessimist there,” MacEachern said. “I knew David “We live a good life in the AHL,” he said, “but I didn’t think it would be this Perron was coming back, so I kind of counted in my head, maybe I was good here. It’s awesome.” the odd man out. It was a nice little surprise there.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019 MacEachern has become an unlikely contributor in the unlikely recovery of the Blues, who have gone from the bottom of the Western Conference standings to fourth in the Central Division, a playoff spot, and a decent shot at moving into third before all is done. What MacEachern brings to the team may not have the impact of what Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko or Jordan Binnington has done, but MacEachern has become a part of a fourth line that has played a significant role in what the team has done of late. The unit has done a good job of building momentum for the team by keeping the puck in the offensive zone, and they’re a group that, when given opportunities, can seize them. On Tuesday against New Jersey, the trio of MacEachern, Ivan Barbashev and Robert Thomas, only one of whom was in the NHL last season, had three goals, two by Barbashev and one for MacEachern, who now has three goals in 12 games. That’s all the more impressive because he averages just 7:48 of ice time per game. “They do a lot of things that people aren’t going to notice,” captain Pietrangelo said. “They might not score all the time — they are now – but they play against top lines, take D-zone faceoffs, kill penalties, all the things that aren’t really pretty but don’t go unnoticed in this locker room. So when you put in work like they do night in and night out, you’re going to get rewarded. (Tuesday) was one of those nights.” “They’re just young guys who are playing and enjoying the game and having fun,” coach Craig Berube said. “Lot of good skill there.” A year ago, the Blues regularly used a fourth line of Kyle Brodziak, Scottie Upshall and Chris Thorburn, whose ages combined to total 100 years, which is why the three dubbed themselves the Century Line. The current fourth line adds up to 66 years and MacEachern, though the least experienced, is the oldest of the bunch, at 24. There was no grand plan for putting them together. When Thomas came back from a shoulder injury, Berube wanted to limit his minutes and ease him back into action, and the easiest way to do that was to put him on the fourth line. Barbashev had carved out his spot as the fourth-line center, and MacEachern won his spot with his physical play and fast skating when he was called up Jan. 10. As the Blues have kept winning, Berube hasn’t wanted to tempt fate by breaking them apart, though Thomas seems primed for a promotion when that time finally comes. In the meantime, having two players as adept with the puck as Barbashev and Thomas makes the line a dangerous weapon. Add in what MacEachern brings – he admits to being the only true “mucker” on the line – such as going into the corner to chase pucks, and it gets even better. “He brings a lot,” Barbashev said. “He’s been working hard for a long time. I think he’s playing really physical. He’s playing smart. It’s really simple for me and Thommy, to be honest. It just feels good. … He looks not nervous out there and it’s actually a good thing for him.” MacEachern admits he was a bit intimidated by his surroundings when he came up, but there’s no evidence of that now. He didn’t hesitate to 1130722 St Louis Blues Otherwise, there were no changes on the forward lines or defensive pairings.

Perron (upper-body) remains on the injured reserve list. After expressing Schwartz's work ethic helped him keep his sanity during goal-less streak optimism Tuesday night that Perron might be able to join the team at some point during this trip, Berube changed his tune Wednesday. He said the team now isn't expecting Perron on the trip. Jim Thomas Gunnarsson is traveling with the team.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.14.2019 During the All-Star break and bye period, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong expressed confidence that several of the Blues' slumping core players would return to form. Looks like that confidence was well-founded. Vladimir Tarasenko currently has a career-best nine-game points streak, and has 10 goals in his last 13 games. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has three goals and three assists in his last eight games, including two goals in Tuesday's 8-3 victory over New Jersey. Brayden Schenn has points in eight of his last 10 games. And now, perhaps Jaden Schwartz is ready to jump in. To the delight of Blues fans and Blues teammates, Schwartz ended his goal-less streak at 22 games with a first-period score against the Devils. Following the New Jersey contest, interim coach Craig Berube was asked how he handles a slumping player such as Schwartz. Do you talk to the player about it? Tease him? Or just leave him alone? "All three," Berube quipped. (Yes, the straight-shooting Berube actually cracked a joke.) What made this particular slump easier to handle for all parties is that Schwartz was playing well throughout his drought — pucks simply weren't going in the net. "Even though he doesn't score, he does a lot of things," Berube said. "For me as a coach, it's stay with doing things right and competing hard, they'll eventually go in. "He was getting a lot of good opportunities over this stretch where he wasn't scoring. It wasn't like he wasn't getting chances, he was. He's a hard-working hockey player and he never lost that work ethic over time so that's the important thing." And that work ethic helped Schwartz keep his sanity. "You try and stay as confident as you can," Schwartz said. "When you're not scoring, you try and do everything else right and anything you can to help the team. "There's guys in here playing really good hockey and having great offensive numbers. Obviously when you're winning, it makes things a lot easier. I just try and take pride in the little things and help the team any way I can." Schwartz's goal elicited the biggest cheers from the crowd at Enterprise Center — on a night when there was a lot to cheer about. But Schwartz was in the moment at the time, and didn't notice one way or the other. "If that's the case, it's pretty exciting and means a lot," Schwartz said. "Hopefully more of those to come." It also meant a lot when Schwartz was presented with the "Bobby Plager Gloves" in the locker room afterwards, as the Blues' player of the game. "I've said it since he came (to the Blues), he does so many things that most people don't see that we appreciate in this locker room," Pietrangelo said. "He's such a dynamic player in so many different ways, even when he's not scoring. "I'm sure it's a weight off his shoulders. He almost had another one but he's going to keep rolling offensively." INJURY/LINEUP NOTES The Blues held a full practice Wednesday morning before leaving for Arizona and the start of a three-game road trip. The team plays Thursday in Arizona, Saturday in Colorado and Sunday in Minnesota before returning home. Twenty-two players were on the ice at the IceZone in Hazelwood, including injured defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (upper-body). Missing were forwards Alexander Steen and David Perron. Steen, who has a 23-game goal-less streak, was replaced on the Tyler Bozak line in practice by Robby Fabbri. 1130723 St Louis Blues free agents like Pat Maroon, Jay Bouwmeester or Gunnarsson. But as of now, the Blues probably won’t be in the market of moving prospects and draft picks for rental players. The logical line of thinking is that the team Blues trade deadline primer: How the winning streak has changed their will look to see if there are any tit-for-tat upgrades available, and if not, plans then stand pat. “When you win seven in a row, it’s hard to say you need anything,” Pietrangelo said. “We’re going good right now and we’ve got some guys By Jeremy Rutherford Feb 13, 2019 that are injured, too, we can’t forget that. We made a lot of moves in the offseason, so this locker room is good right now. We’re going good.”

Armstrong’s trade deadline history? Brayden Schenn heard the trade rumors. This is Armstrong’s ninth trade deadline with the Blues, and the team has About two months ago, The Athletic reported that the Blues were advanced to the postseason in six of the previous eight years, missing in listening to offers on all of their top players, and as the names of Alex 2011 and 2018. Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko were being rattled off to Schenn on Tuesday, he added: “… and me.” The GM’s track record, as illustrated in the chart below from @STLBlueshistory, shows that there aren’t any clear patterns with It was no surprise to the 27-year-old who’s been traded twice in his Armstrong’s deadline decisions, other than parting ways with pending career. UFAs if he didn’t believe the team was a strong contender. “That comes with a losing team, guys’ names are going to be tossed The 2011 deal in which the Blues (26-21-9 at the time) sent Erik Johnson around,” Schenn said. “You look at the good teams in the league that are to Colorado for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk was a “hockey winning a ton, no one gets talked about, right? (But) as of late it’s quieted trade.” In 2013, the same could be said when the club (17-14-2 at the down around this locker room.” time) put together a package that included a first-round pick in exchange for Jay Bouwmeester. In 2014, the team (39-13-6 at the time) had high That’s because the Blues are no longer a losing team. They’ve won expectations for the playoffs, and trading Stewart, Jaroslav Halak and a seven consecutive games and they’re in a wild-card seat in the Western first-round pick for Ryan Miller and Steve Ott was meant to improve those Conference playoffs with an eye on one of the top three three spots in chances, but it was also about unloading a pair of players who were no the Central Division. longer part of the future. “Guys have stepped up and have shown how well they can play and how In 2016, the year that the Blues had arguably their best chance of important they are to the organization,” Schenn said. “It starts with our hoisting the Stanley Cup, the only transaction the club (35-19-9 at the top guys. They’ve elevated their game lately, and that’s what every team time) made before the deadline was a response to an injury to goalie needs to win hockey games.” Brian Elliott, moving prospect Niklas Lundstrom and a draft pick to The Blues were 11 points out of a playoff position on Jan. 2, but have Edmonton for backup Anders Nilsson. They went on to the Western since gone 13-4-1, which is tied for the most points in the NHL in that Conference finals that year before losing to San Jose. stretch. They’ve likely changed the mind of general manager Doug The lone trend under Armstrong at the trade deadline has been moving Armstrong, going from likely sellers to staying the course at the very least attractive players in seasons that don’t look promising. It happened in and potentially becoming buyers. 2017, when the Blues (31-25-5 and the second wildcard in the “That’s a question you’ve got to ask him,” Pietrangelo said. “I’m not in his conference) dealt Shattenkirk to Washington for Zach Sanford and a first- mind, so we’re worrying about what’s in here and we’re playing for each round pick. Somewhat surprisingly was they beat higher-seeded other right now. It’s a long season and it just goes to show that you’ve got Minnesota in the first round, but fell to Nashville in the second round. It to stick with it and trust the process. Like I’ve said all along, I believe in happened again in 2018, when the Blues (34-25-4 and one point out of a this locker room, I believe in what we have here.” wild-card spot) sent Paul Stastny to Winnipeg for a first-round pick and prospect Erik Foley. The team missed the playoffs by one point. Pietrangelo also admitted hearing the rumors. He has a full no-trade clause and therefore possessed some power in the situation, but claims The circumstances, however, are different this year than in those two he never wavered on wanting to stay in St. Louis. seasons. They are in a less solid position as a wild card, but their pending UFAs are not as high profile as with Shattenkirk and Stastny. “No,” Pietrangelo said. “I hope nobody did in here. I think guys are pretty Therefore, it should come as no surprise that if the Blues do not find a professional in here and you’ve got to go about your business, right? hockey trade that suits their needs, then Armstrong will likely refrain from Especially when you really enjoy being in a place and you like playing the rental market and retain his UFAs-to-be. with guys. It hasn’t really bothered anybody in here. It’s those people talking about it, or writing about it, whatever … we’ve done a good job in Salary cap situation here. The Blues currently have $3.9 million in salary-cap space, according to “I know the coaches and management feel the same way and look where Capfriendly.com, which projects the club to have approximately $5.2 we are now. We knew we had a lot of people doubting us there for a million of space at the deadline. That would allow Armstrong some wiggle while. We weren’t very happy with how we were playing, but I’m not room if he chose to use it, but that is not the blueprint heading into Feb. really too worried about what other people think. I’m worried about what 25, nor should it be. the people in this locker room think and right now it’s a good feeling.” Ownership has spent to the cap since Tom Stillman’s group took control The Blues are two points behind Dallas in third place in the Central in 2012, and the organization has just one trip to the conference finals to Division and have one game in hand on the Stars. They have seven show for it. They did so again this season before Anaheim’s claim on games remaining before the trade deadline, beginning with two against backup goalie Chad Johnson in December provided some cap relief. teams not currently holding a playoff spot in Arizona and Colorado, Though the Blues have significantly increased their Stanley Cup odds followed by five against clubs who do in Toronto, Dallas, Boston and with their recent surge, they don’t have the cap space to add one of the Minnesota (twice). premier rentals without an established player or players going back the “We still feel like we have a lot of games and a lot of work to do before other way to offset the salary. And even if the club could move prospects they make decisions,” Schenn said. “We try not to worry about that. or picks in a deal, Armstrong shouldn’t pay the steep price and risk Whatever happens, happens, whatever way they decide to go, but we watching them walk in the offseason. feel in this locker room like we’ve beaten some good teams. We’ve come What are the Blues’ biggest needs? a long way as a group and hopefully we’re building at the right time. But like I said, we have a ton of work left to do, a lot of points up for grabs.” As odd as it sounds for a team that began the year with a record of 15- 18-4, the Blues don’t have a lot of needs. Sure, pending Columbus UFA In addition, Jaden Schwartz getting off the schneid Tuesday with his first Artemi Panarin could come in and be one of the Blues’ best players, but goal in 23 games could be a good sign, while David Perron, who ranks again, that’s not how the club is positioned going into this year’s third on the club in goals (17) and points (35) despite missing the last deadline. nine games with an upper-body injury, should be rejoining the team at some point, along with defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues have a lineup that’s currently performing to preseason expectations, and eclipsing them in the case of forwards Oskar Sundqvist So what will the Blues do? and MacKenzie MacEachern, who wasn’t even expected to be here. How The way that it’s shaping up, unless there’s a complete collapse before would they, along with Ivan Barbashev and Robert Thomas, hold up in the deadline, the club will not be moving any of its pending unrestricted the playoffs? No one knows. Could Armstrong augment his bottom-six forwards with gritty, championship-pedigree players? Sure. But for now this lineup is getting the job done and deserves a chance to continue. There are, however, two legitimate concerns. Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington has been nothing short of spectacular, going 10-1-1 as a starter and essentially saving the the Blues’ season. But he’s unproven in the playoffs and that could cause the team to explore the goalie market, although it would require moving veteran Jake Allen in any deal. Secondly, the Blues would be smart to look around for someone who can quarterback the power play. Vince Dunn has had some success, but his inconsistency got him demoted to the second unit in favor of Pietrangelo, who is not the prototype player for that role. What are the Blues’ most tradeable assets? The roster player who has attracted significant interest is Schenn because of his production, his reasonable salary and the term remaining on his contract. He had a team-high 70 points in 2017-18, and while he’s on pace for just 54 this season, he’s come on lately playing left wing on a line with Ryan O’Reilly and Tarasenko. The trio has combined for 29 points in the past seven games, including nine from Schenn. Meanwhile, he has a $5.1 million annual average value (AAV) and one more year left on his deal. Schenn has been linked to a few teams in trade circles, particularly Boston. It’s believed that a deal with the Bruins would have yielded a young quality player, which means the Blues would have been building for the future with O’Reilly and Thomas in mind as their top-six centers. But it would seem now that with the club back in the playoff picture and Schenn contributing there would be limited motivation to move him. Among prospects, outside of Thomas, Jordan Kyrou would generate the most interest around the league. The 20-year-old was No. 6 in Corey Pronman’s 2018-19 midseason prospect rankings for The Athletic released last month. But fear not Blues’ fans, despite Kyrou’s talent not yet totally translating at the NHL level, there doesn’t appear to be a possible scenario in which the team would move him for help now. Who might the Blues target? Jimmy Howard, G, Detroit — The Blues had interest in Howard, who is a 34-year-old pending UFA, earlier this season and for good reason. He is 16-15-5 with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage on a non-playoff team that is 22-28-7. It’s believed, however, that two things would have to happen for the Blues to acquire him — Allen would have to be going back to the Red Wings, in part to clear room on the roster and also to offset Howard’s $5.3 million cap hit. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Columbus — This is a long shot considering that Columbus is in the Eastern Conference playoff race and because Bobrovsky, a 30-year-old pending UFA, has a cap hit of $7.4 million and a no-movement clause. The Blue Jackets would have to decide to move Bobrovsky and he would have to waive his trade clause, but The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported last month that St. Louis could be one of his approved destinations. Once again, though, Allen would have to be in the deal, and the Blues would need to include another mid-level salary to make the numbers work. Ryan Dzingel, LW, Ottawa — The Senators haven’t yet decided whether they’re going to unload their trio of attractive assets: Matt Duchene, Mark Stone or Ryan Dzingel. But if they do, while the rest of the NHL is salivating over Duchene and Stone, the Blues should keep an eye on the 21-year-old UFA-to-be, Dzingel. A forward who can play all three positions, he’s eclipsed 20 goals for the second straight season and his cap hit is just $1.8 million. There isn’t a huge need, but Dzingel would come cheaper than top-tier options like Panarin and second-tier options such as Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds. Justin Faulk, D, Carolina — The Hurricanes have a few potentially available defensemen in Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and Justin Faulk. It’s believed that Faulk, a 26-year-old pending UFA who has a cap hit of $4.8 million, is the player they’d prefer to trade. With the Blues in need of a power-play QB, he averages more than three minutes of ice time per game on the Canes’ No. 1 power play, but has just five points for the league’s 23rd-ranked unit. It doesn’t seem like Faulk, a right-shot, would be the upgrade the Blues are seeking, but he’s an option. The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130724 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s defense continues to improve Coach Jon Cooper says the blue line will be crucial to a Stanley Cup bid

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA – As the Lightning prepares to take on Dallas, it looks to continue its strong defensive play. “That part of your game has to be clicking come springtime because you never know how many (goals) you’re going to get,” Cooper said. “There are going to be some nights you get zero, and there are going to be some nights you get one, and we haven’t been used to that too often, but it does happen, and you have to put yourself in a position to win those games when you’re only getting two.” The Lightning entered Wednesday ranked fifth in the league in goals against, allowing an average 2.77 per game, and its penalty kill was tied for second with the Blue Jackets (84.2 percent). Following Tuesday night’s 6-3 win over the Flames, Cooper was particularly impressed with the Lightning’s play “on the other side of the puck.” The effort included holding the Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau, one of the league’s leading scorers, to no shots on goal. Cooper complimented the penalty kill, saying it has been outstanding throughout the year. The Lightning’s defensive efforts are now especially crucial with the playoffs less than two months away. “They put themselves in good positions to win games by playing D,” Cooper said. We’re talking about practice The Lightning typically runs competitive drills in practice, dividing the team into separate squads to spur excitement. As a consequence, the workouts seldom are dull. Wednesday, a particular three-on-three in tight quarters was filled with enthusiasm and cheers. When Ryan Callahan scored the winning goal for the squad wearing white jerseys, it set off a cheer more reminiscent of winning an actual game. “We have fun with it,” Anthony Cirelli said. “Obviously, we’re all friends on the team, but we can kind of it give it to each other. It’s nice. “I think we do a good job of being competitive in practice. Obviously, that goes into games. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to have fun with it as well.” Black History Month marked The Lightning hosts the NHL’s American Legacy Black Hockey History Tour truck at Amalie Arena on Saturday before the game against Montreal. The truck will be in the Green Lot, across from Thunder Alley, from 3-7 p.m. The truck is visiting six U.S. cities. The stop in Tampa will be its fourth. In addition, the truck will visit the Jeff and Penny Vinik Family Park at Winston Park today and Pierce and Webb middle schools in Tampa on Friday as part of the Lightning’s “Guide The Thunder” mentoring program for middle-school students. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130725 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning-Flames: Observations from Tampa Bay’s scoring-frenzy matchup The Lightning secured a 6-3 win over the Flames on Tuesday.

By Diana C. Nearhos and Mari Faiello

TAMPA — Tuesday’s contest gave Tampa Bay a look at what two months down the road could look like competing for the beloved piece of silverware. The Lightning swept the Flames in the two-game regular- season series in what could end up being a potential matchup for the Stanley Cup. Coming out of Tuesday’s game, the Lightning are seated at the top of the NHL standings and the Eastern Conference with 88 points while the Flames sit at fourth in the league and third in the Western Conference with 74 points, just one point behind the Jets and the Sharks who sit at second and third, respectively. •• Here are some odds and ends from Tampa Bay’s win: ­­ Stamkos staying strong. Steven Stamkos logged his 30th goal Tuesday, marking the sixth season in which he has logged at least 30 goals or more. This is the first time Stamkos has reached this milestone since 2015-16. Power-play magic. Brayden Point passed Boston’s David Pastrnak to take the NHL lead in power-play goals. He put the Lightning on the board with his 16th power-play goal of the season. Little streaks add up. The Lightning has now won three games in a row. That doesn’t seem like a very long streak, but it’s the eighth time it has won three or more. Calgary is tied for second in the league with six. Playing the puck. The goalie doesn’t usually find himself out near the blue line. Andrei Vasilevskiy made a nice move, coming nearly that far to play the puck on the power play, getting the Lightning back in the zone. Power up or power down. The power play has been a strong asset for the Lightning. It has gone four for seven in the last two games. It had been one for 10 on the five games previously. Defense continues to stay strong. Calgary’s 22 shots tied for the second fewest the Lightning has allowed this season — Tampa Bay held Buffalo to 19 shots on Nov. 13. Vancouver all-star Johnny Gaudreau didn’t take a shot Tuesday. Coming up. Former Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop returns to Tampa on Thursday with the Dallas Stars. The puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130726 Tampa Bay Lightning Before that, though, like Cernak, Sergachev was an unknown coming in to replace a known entity. Drouin had his challenges, but he and the Lightning had worked through his trade request, his suspension for Two trades in 2017 invested in the Lightning’s future at the blue line refusing to report to Syracuse and then his taking back the trade request in 2015-26, and were in a good place. The Lightning gave up a wildly talented star and fans wanted to know for what. By Diana C. Nearhos Well, for the future of the blue line. Sergachev is 20, Cernak 21. The days when they take over the defensive corps isn’t quite imminent, but it’ll come. They aren’t the entirety of Tampa Bay’s defensive future, either. Cal Foote, the 2017 first-round pick, awaits his chance in TAMPA — Lightning fans still wear their Ben Bishop jerseys and “Bish Syracuse. please” T-shirts around Amalie Arena. “The future looks bright, and so does the present,” Hedman said. “We’re Bishop, now a Dallas Star, returned to Tampa on Wednesday ahead of very happy to have guys like them show they can play in this league. tonight’s game against the Lightning at Amalie Arena and visited friends They’ve been a big part of this team and our success.” at the Lightning’s practice facility. But Bishop’s popularity didn’t interfere with the Lightning’s decision to trade him in February 2017. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 02.14.2019 Fans can look ahead to this year’s Feb. 25 trading deadline by looking back on the trade of Bishop and the trade of another talented player, forward Jonathan Drouin, and realize a deal can pay future dividends. Bishop and Drouin were traded four months apart for what turned out to be the future of the Lighting’s defense. As the 2017 trade deadline approached, the Lightning had goalies Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy — called by coach Jon Cooper his Nos. 1 and 1A — and needed to commit to one starter going forward. Bishop’s contract was expiring and he could have been an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Faced with that, the Lightning wanted to get something in return for him. A trade also meant the Lightning would not have to include Bishop in building a plan for Vegas’ impending expansion draft. In February 2017, Tampa Bay sent Bishop and a fifth-round draft pick to the Kings in return for backup goalie Peter Budaj, the rights to defenseman Erik Cernak and a seventh-round pick. (The Kings later traded Bishop to Dallas.) In the offseason, the Lightning had an opportunity to move Drouin and took it. Tampa Bay sent the forward and a sixth-round pick to Montreal in June for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and a second-round pick. Cernak and Sergachev were unknown quantities with potential instead of known performers like Bishop and Drouin. Cernak was more of an abstract concept to his now-teammates. He was playing juniors when his rights were traded. At the time, he was almost an also-ran in the trade, a highly drafted prospect — second round, 43rd overall in 2015 — who sounded good but no one knew much about. “We didn’t know him,” the Lightning’s Victor Hedman said. “We just knew the organization was very high on him. We’re obviously very happy how he turned out, and he’s a mainstay on this team.” Cernak has surprised everyone this year, including coaches and himself, since his November callup from AHL Syracuse. The Lightning expected him to be a NHL regular, but not this quickly, after a little more than one AHL season. He finished out that 2016-17 season of juniors (advancing to the Canadian League’s championship tournament, the Memorial Cup, where his team lost to Sergachev’s in the final) and then reported to Syracuse the next season. After a successful first pro season in the AHL, Cernak had a strong training camp with the Lightning this season. He returned to the Crunch until getting his chance with the Lightning in November. Cernak, a 6-foot-3 right-handed shot, seized that chance and has never let go. His play forced the Lightning to reconsider its defensive structure. It traded Slater Koekkoek last month and adopted its current rotation, in large part because Cernak surprised management and coaches with how much he did as quickly as he did. Then-general manager Steve Yzerman’s description of the trade at the time holds up now: Cernak is “6-foot-3 and a right-handed shot who skates well and defends well.” Cernak has been more than reliable playing with Ryan McDonagh against opponents’ top lines. He plays a physical game, and he’s finding his role in the offense. Sergachev also checks off qualities on that list, except he’s a left-handed shot, and he also brings more offense. Hedman has pointed to the 20- year-old trying moves that he didn’t have the confidence to attempt at that age and still wouldn’t try now. Last season, his first with the Lightning and his first full one in the NHL, Sergachev became the youngest Lightning player to score in the playoffs. He has been a reliable member of the defensive corps. 1130727 Toronto Maple Leafs to make sure you put your work before your skill. That’s the challenge of our group.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 02.14.2019 Leafs give Nylander time and space to round into form | The Star

By Kevin McGran

LAS VEGAS—By now, William Nylander pretty much hates the questions about his struggles to return to form after signing his six-year contract in December. But he plays along, with a smile and a shrug. William Nylander has been making up for lost time with recent success on the Leafs’ third line. “I feel way more comfortable skating, creating chances, and getting those second chances has really helped,” the Maple Leafs winger said after Wednesday’s practice at T-Mobile Arena, site of Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. “It feels like my legs are going. Now I have to stay on those pucks, keep going and stay hungry.” Nylander has eight points in his last nine games, including a seeing-eye assist on Nazem Kadri’s second goal of the game in Tuesday night’s 5-2 win over Colorado. His minutes still aren’t what they were — he played just 13:21 — but he’s playing so much better since just before the all-star break. He’s skating, controlling the play, creating chances. “In the beginning you didn’t think you had to go through this,” said Nylander, “but you had to go through it. It happens. Just get better from it. It was a good learning process.” His centre these days, Kadri, scored for the first time since a hat trick Jan. 23. “William has that mental toughness to be able to persevere, battle through adversity,” said Kadri. “He’s got that personality to be able to turn the page and worry about the next one. For him, we’re proud of how he recovered through that whole situation. We knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time.” Nylander is not all the way back, as far as Leafs coach Mike Babcock is concerned. “He’s got to keep getting better, with and without the puck, and be dominant,” said Babcock. “The more dominant he gets, the quicker with the puck he gets, the more opportunity he’ll get. “Any time you compete — you’re mobile enough, you’re aware enough, you’re in shape enough — gives you a chance when you’ve got his skill set. Confidence is a big part of it. Once you lose your confidence, it takes you a while to overcome yourself and get right back at it. I think he’s in a real good situation and he’s got to keep getting better and dig in every day.” Babcock hinted that he’s willing to reunite Nylander with Auston Matthews down the road, but for now he’s letting Nylander find his game with Kadri and left winger Andreas Johnsson on the third line. “Playing with (Kadri and Johnsson) is no slouch,” said Babcock. “Those guys dominated the game. And depending where you go (what line you’re on) you get a different kind of matchup. When you’re in the third group and you get the third (defensive pair), it’s not a bad situation for you.” Nylander doesn’t seem to mind whether he plays with Kadri or Matthews. “They both score goals,” said Nylander. In fact, he’s looked so good — offensively, at least — that the third line has created the kind of mismatches followers of this team imagined at the beginning of the season. “That’s our strength. That’s how we’re going to compete for a title — our depth,” said Kadri. “Every single line going. We’re a hard team to stop.” While the player believe in themselves and what each line can bring to the ice, Babcock is mindful that grit can be just as important as talent. The battles on the ice are much different from how things might appear on paper regardless of whether there’s a mismatch in talent. “It’s only good if you work, if you play well defensively,” said Babcock. “It’s only good if you all compete. “What happens in the league, time and space go away. The crowd around the net gets tighter, so the determination, the grit and those things, they’re not measured in skill, they’re measured in will. You have 1130728 Toronto Maple Leafs Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitch Marner Patrick Marleau-Auston Matthews-Kasperi Kapanen Game Day: Maple Leafs at Golden Knights Andreas Johnsson-Nazem Kadri-William Nylander Par Lindholm-Frederik Gauthier-Connor Brown Terry Koshan Defence pairs Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (35-18-3) at VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS Jake Muzzin-Nikita Zaitsev (31-23-4) Jake Gardiner-Travis Dermott Thursday, 10 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, Goaltenders TV: Sportsnet Ontario: Radio: 1050 AM Frederik Andersen THE BIG MATCHUP Garret Sparks Auston Matthews vs. William Karlsson GOLDEN KNIGHTS LINES When the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights met in Toronto in November, Auston Matthews didn’t play as he was recovering from a shoulder injury. LW-C-RW William Karlsson was effective in a matchup that night against John Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith Tavares, which could result in Vegas coach Gerard Gallant using Karlsson on the ice against Tavares again. If not, it’s bound to be Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Alex Tuch Karlsson and Matthews trying to out-wit each other. Matthews has two goals in two career games against Vegas; Karlsson has three goals and Brandon Pirri/Oscar Lindberg-Cody Eakin- four assists in nine games versus the Leafs. Will Carrier/Tomas Nosek-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Defence pairs 1. Tread carefully Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt The Maple Leafs expect a fired-up Golden Knights opponent after Vegas Deryk Engelland-Shea Theodore lost to Arizona on Tuesday and took criticism from coach Gerard Gallant. “I didn’t like hearing that coming in,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said, Jon Merrill-Colin Miller going on a hunch the Knights won’t be poor two games in a row. Said Gallant on Wednesday: “I was disappointed, but (his players) were more Goaltenders disappointed than I was. We made too many mistakes. Hopefully we corrected it (in practice) and we move on. Toronto is a great team with a Marc-Andre Fleury lot of talent and a lot of skill.” Malcolm Subban 2. Andersen effect INJURIES Babcock was saying in Denver he doesn’t often like to give the opposing Golden Knights — C Erik Haula (undisclosed), D Nick Holden goalie too much credit, but acknowledged that Frederik Andersen has (undisclosed), RW Ryan Carpenter (upper body). stolen some games for the Leafs this season. One of those came on Nov. 6 in Toronto’s only other meeting of 2018-19 with Vegas, when Maple Leafs — None. Andersen made 36 saves in a 3-1 Leafs win. Toronto had only 21 shots on goal that night, tied for its third-fewest in a game this season. Vegas SPECIAL TEAMS will be looking to avenge a poor effort against Arizona on Tuesday and Power play Andersen will have to be sharp. Golden Knights: 18% (20th) 3. Finding a way Maple Leafs: 21.2% (12th) The Leafs weren’t terrific in a 5-2 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, certainly not at five-on-five, and relied on the power play to Penalty kill get by. Still, it was the 18th road victory by the Leafs this season, second-most in the NHL. The mark of a solid group is one that finds a Golden Knights: 83.1% (6th) way to win, and the Leafs have been doing that for the most part. Vegas Maple Leafs: 81.3% (12th) has compiled a 16-8-3 record at home, and has a goal differential of plus- 22 (85-63) at T-Mobile Arena. The Leafs don’t expect anything but a Toronto Sun LOADED: 02.14.2019 tough challenge. 4. Stingy on the PK The Leafs finally struck gold on their power play, scoring three goals against the Avalanche after a long bout of futility. A challenge awaits again on Thursday, as Vegas is tied with Tampa Bay for the best penalty- killing rate in the NHL on home ice, at 87.8%. The Golden Knights have allowed just nine power-play goals at home; the Leafs, as good as they were in Denver, can’t get frustrated if they don’t have instant success with a man advantage. 5. Flower power Marc-Andre Fleury has been the busiest goaltender in the NHL this season, starting 50 games and putting together a record of 29-17-4. Fleury has a good win/loss record against the Leafs in his career, going 18-11-4, but has a less-than-average save percentage of .898 versus Toronto in 35 games. The Leafs are just one of four NHL clubs against which Fleury has not posted a career save percentage above of .900. If the Leafs can catch Fleury, as mobile as he is, in scramble mode, it will be to their advantage. MAPLE LEAFS LINES LW-C-RW 1130729 Toronto Maple Leafs “(Nylander) has to keep getting better with and without the puck and be dominant. The more dominant he gets, the quicker with the puck he gets, the more opportunity he will get that way. Feeling in Leafs dressing room is one of calm as trade deadline nears “I think he is in a real good situation right now, he just has to keep getting better and digging in every day.” Terry Koshan As Babcock noted, it’s not exactly a raw deal for Nylander to be playing with Kadri and Andreas Johnsson. The chemistry with Kadri is obvious, and Johnsson brings an element of persistence to the trio. LAS VEGAS — Three thoughts on the Maple Leafs as they head into What’s encouraging is Nylander’s outlook. He’s in the proper headspace. Thursday’s game versus the Vegas Golden Knights: “At the beginning, you didn’t think you have to go through this, but you 1. Ten days remain until the National Hockey League trade deadline. Is had to go through it,” Nylander said of his initial struggles upon returning there a feeling in the dressing room that any addition general manager to the lineup. “It happens, and you just get better from it and learn from it. Kyle Dubas might make prior to Feb. 25 could lead to ripples of It was a good learning process for me.” disruption in the group? 3. The Leafs were talking a good game about their power play before Absolutely not. they erupted for three goals with a man advantage in Colorado. The Leafs have been linked to any number of players, whether it’s What comes next for the power-play units now that Toronto has again Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers, Micheal Ferland and Brett proven it can score with an opponent in the penalty box? Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes, or Luke Glendening of the Detroit Red Wings. The power play, or special teams on both sides of the puck, really, will be that much more crucial as the weeks tick away toward what the Leafs will There’s no sense of concern among the Leafs players with the deadline hope will be a long post-season run. looming, as they’re secure with the notion that no major pieces will be touched. The Leafs have the talent to not be predictable on the power play, and they have proven that time and again. There’s little excuse to not have “There is a great job of focusing on ourselves and what we can control,” continued success. centre John Tavares said. “There is a strong belief in the depth we have and the kind of hockey team we have. “When you get results, it’s a pretty good feeling, and that’s what you work hard for,” Tavares said. “We have to keep driving that hunger. It’s a lot of “Everything else going on around us is just noise. We focus on how we fun when you get those results and you understand the work ethic and can continue to get better. It’s a journey we want to go on for a long time. the detail that goes into it. “When I looked to come here last summer, what has been built from top “It’s not wavering from it, it’’s not taking the foot off the gas just because to bottom, is the strength in all areas of the organization, the depth we we got rewarded. We have to be hungry for more and consistently be a have with prospects, guys with the Marlies. We have very good players factor in the game (on the power play).” who are not playing every night, and that’s a good problem to have.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 02.14.2019 The Leafs are expected to bump up against salary cap issues next season, considering that restricted free agents Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, among others, all must be re-signed. If Dubas adds in the coming days, players on expiring contracts could be deemed most attractive. Simmonds and Ferland, for example, will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Pesce is signed through 2023-24. Glendening carries an AAV of $1.8- million through 2020-21. Jake Muzzin was welcomed with open arms after Dubas acquired him from Los Angeles. We’d expect any other player, if more are to come, to get similar treatment. 2. Is it safe to say that William Nylander is all the way back to his usual self after missing the first 28 games of the season because of a contract dispute? No, not quite. But the 22-year-old is close. The no-look pass Nylander made to Nazem Kadri for the Leafs’ fifth goal in a 5-2 win against Colorado on Tuesday was the kind of play that mere mortals in the NHL simply don’t execute. It was a further indication that Nylander is finding his game in the offensive zone, and when he does completely, the Leafs will have another consistent weapon that will give opposing defencemen fits. “I feel way more comfortable skating and creating chances, and staying on it and getting those second chances,” Nylander said. “It’s what has helped turn (his) game around, that’s for sure. “It just feels like my legs are going and now I have the condition to stay on those second pucks and staying hungry.” Nylander has 11 points in 28 games since signing a six-year, $45-million US contract. In the past nine games, he has eight points. Are we going to see Nylander again at some point on Auston Matthews’ right side? “When everybody is up and running, that might happen,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “Until I see you are at the top of your game, that’s not what we are doing. 1130730 Toronto Maple Leafs Rielly, in the midst of a fine season that has put him in the Norris Trophy conversation, was thrilled, as were the rest of the Leafs, when the club acquired Muzzin on Jan. 28. Rielly left in Babcock’s plans on Leafs blue line The way Rielly sees it, either way he’s in a good spot, whether he is partnered with Muzzin or Hainsey. Terry Koshan “If we play brutal, they are probably going to switch it and I think if all goes well, we will probably keep it,” Rielly said, a bit tongue-in-cheek.

“I love playing with Ronnie. He is a leader, we have a good relationship LAS VEGAS — Mike Babcock won’t make changes to his changes. and we talk a lot. He is one of those guys you can really rely on.” At least, not on Thursday night when the Maple Leafs visit the Vegas BABCOCK LIKING LEAFS CONSISTENCY Golden Knights, and for a simple reason. Consistency can be elusive in the National Hockey League, but Maple When Babcock put defenceman Morgan Rielly back on the left side with Leafs coach Mike Babcock is thinking his team might be on to something. Ron Hainsey during the Leafs’ game in Denver on Tuesday, and the Leafs went on to beat the Colorado Avalanche, the Leafs coach was glad The Leafs have won six of their past eight games, including five of seven to have his No. 1 defenceman in the spot that the 24-year-old Rielly has since returning from the bye week. excelled. “We found a way most nights to be pretty good, even when we lost, we During practice on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena, Rielly remained with were pretty good,” Babcock said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. Older, Hainsey, Jake Muzzin skated alongside Nikita Zaitsev, and Travis veteran teams, they find a way to have less ups and downs. Dermott was on the right side with Jake Gardiner. “We just like to keep it as constant as we can. We talked about it a little What did Babcock see in his defence pairs in the win against the Avs to bit after the loss in New York (to the Rangers on Sunday night). “We keep them together? wanted to bounce back, I thought that was a real tough road game with the altitude and the travel we had, but I thought our guys found a way (in “I saw Morgan Rielly on the left side,” Babcock said, seeing no need to a 5-2 win in Colorado on Tuesday). We found a way to stick with it and elaborate. get it done.” Rielly certainly was onside with Babcock’s decision to leave him with Toronto Sun LOADED: 02.14.2019 Hainsey. Whether that remains in place for the duration of the regular season isn’t concrete, but it’s likely that Babcock keeps Rielly with Hainsey as he figures out what works best with the other four. Does Rielly feel relief in being back in his, no pun intended, rightful spot? “That’s where you are most comfortable, it’s where you want to be,” Rielly said of playing on the left. “That being said, we have a group that we are willing to move around if we have to, to make everyone more comfortable. “I think I speak for most defencemen that you are more comfortable on your natural side and that’s just the way it is.” True, but for Rielly, there was not a discernible drop-off in his play during the six-plus games he was paired with Muzzin. The Leafs have gone 5-1-1 in the seven games Muzzin has played since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, during which Rielly had five points. To assert there is more depth with Muzzin would be a bit of an understatement. What’s more, the presence of Muzzin allows Babcock to move the pieces around as he tries to find what works best, and not worry that there may be a decline in the play of the defensive group as a whole while new looks are being explored. “I think we’re way deeper through six,” Babcock said of the impact of Muzzin through seven games. “So you’re not as paranoid about who is on the ice and when they are out there.” Said Muzzin: “It’s an advantage for us to be so flexible back there. There are options, and if (Babcock) wants a certain matchup with a pair he can do that, and the other two pairs are solid still.” It’s the left-handed Dermott who is now being asked to play out of his natural position. One thing we’ve come to learn about Dermott in his season-plus with the Leafs is that little gets him rattled, and he is willing to adapt if Babcock thinks it’s the best way to go. “Honestly, I don’t hate the right side,” Dermott said. “There are a bunch of different options to come in your arsenal. You have to think the game a little differently, but I don’t hate it. “Knock on wood, injuries happen, a whole bunch of stuff can happen where you end up playing with different guys throughout the game. Anything can happen where you can be mixed up.” As Babcock said after the victory in Denver, the Leafs defence is a work in progress, and it’s possible further changes could be made. Having said that, we don’t expect to see Rielly on the right side again. Babcock hinted he was not overly enamoured with that plan in the long run when Muzzin came aboard. 1130731 Vegas Golden Knights “We have to be better,” Fleury said. “We know where we are at. (Gallant) is awesome. Everybody loves him, and we have a lot of respect for him. He’s very honest with us. He’s not happy. We’re not happy. But we also If Golden Knights need motivation, ‘soft’ label should do the job have some pride, and we’re not happy when we lose games like the (one Tuesday).”

Nothing gets the attention of a team coming off a forgettable loss better By Ed Graney / Las Vegas Review-Journal than next facing a quality opponent, which the Knights will do against visiting Toronto on Thursday and Nashville on Saturday.

You could sense it at Wednesday’s practice, when more competitive It’s like accusing a baker of using cheap ingredients. drills than your typical between games workout made for some aggressive play. It was intense. Sticks were slapped against the ice. It’s like suggesting a singer is tone deaf. Voices were raised. It’s like charging an attorney — or, well, football coach — with being Soft took a maintenance day. honest. “I thought it was great,” Gallant said. “There was a little more passion, a The horror of it. little more work ethic. Now, we move on.” Professional athletes can be a predictable lot when it comes to what Toronto is in town. might push their buttons most, certain words or phrases that describe play in a less-than-flattering manner. Need more jam, man. None gets their attention more than this: soft. Need those stones. None is a bigger hit to their collective egos. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 02.14.2019 “It’s not a good word,” Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. It’s one Knights coach Gerard Gallant used after a 5-2 loss to Arizona on Tuesday night, the team’s fourth straight at T-Mobile Arena and one that definitely bothered Gallant in terms of how his team did — or, specifically — didn’t compete. “I don’t like the way we played,” Gallant said. “We played a soft game …” It was more a critique of the overall performance than any individual, and yet that’s all semantics. He didn’t think they were aggressive enough, tough enough, emotional enough, smart enough, whatever. He wasn’t happy with anyone. Effort can be a tough thing to gauge in sports, which is why those outside a specific team — fans, media, anyone watching — should temper their immediate desire to condemn. Players and coaches know who’s playing hard. Everyone else just thinks they do. The Knights are stumbling along, which seems to happen to every NHL team nowadays not named Tampa Bay over the course of a regular season. It’s also an 82-game schedule, and to believe players are going to bring their maximum levels of focus and exertion on a nightly basis is to believe the best part of Bill Belichick’s day is a press briefing. Sometimes, you can get away with not being at your best. Most times, like the Knights on Tuesday, you can’t. “We’ve got to get back to what makes us successful,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “There’s just not a lot of jam to our game right now. That’s what we’ve got to get back to in order to win this time of year. Just a little bit more stones. You need a little bit more hard work ethic, go to the hard areas, take a crosscheck, give a crosscheck, punch somebody in the face. I don’t know. “Whatever it is, we need a little bit more of it. We need something that’s going to get our team going. We don’t have a lot right now of that. Yeah, we’ve got a couple guys going out and hitting guys. We’ve got a couple guys that aren’t getting knocked off pucks. But a couple isn’t going to win you games.” Highs and lows I need more jam in my writing. A few more stones when crafting an opinion. What great words. It’s also not uncommon in such a long season, these highs and lows between games 40 to 60, especially for a team that sits in a comfortable playoff position. Lulls are bound to occur, but the key is making sure they don’t extend for long periods so that comfortable becomes tenuous. One of the best things about Gallant is that he doesn’t belittle his team for the sake of it. He barely speaks to players after wins or losses. He treats them as pros on and off the ice. So when a message such as Tuesday’s is delivered in an extended locker room chat, you know he’s seeing attributes, be it attitude or style of play or something, that isn’t good. 1130732 Vegas Golden Knights surrendered a power play goal in four straight games, however, while only scoring once on their own power plays in the last five contests. Perhaps even more troubling is the disparity in penalties. Vegas has 5 issues facing the Golden Knights for NHL playoff run allowed 14 power play opportunities in the last four games while getting the man-advantage just seven times.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 02.14.2019 By Adam Hill / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant was clearly agitated with his team after it suffered a franchise record-tying fourth consecutive home loss on Tuesday night. He appeared even more displeased when he was informed his players had acknowledged his postgame tirade to reporters. “The players (told you that)?” Gallant asked. “Typical.” He went on to tell the media the details of the message he delivered were “none of (their) business.” Gallant’s angst is understandable. The Knights have dropped six out of their last eight games and have daunting matchups with Toronto and Nashville, starting with the Maple Leafs visiting T-Mobile Arena at 7 p.m. Thursday. On the positive side, the Knights look poised to claim a playoff berth as they sit nine points ahead of fourth-place Vancouver for the last guaranteed spot in the Pacific Division entering play Wednesday night. But they will have to start cleaning things up if they want to challenge for the Stanley Cup again. As the Knights try to avoid a fifth straight home loss and mount a playoff run, here are five issues that need to be addressed: 1. Find some ‘jam’ to their game. The Knights are at their best when they are aggressive on the forecheck and not allowing teams to get comfortable moving the puck back up the ice. Will Carrier and Ryan Reaves are first and second in the league in hits, but it takes a full team effort and several players mentioned after Tuesday’s game and Wednesday’s practice that there’s just not enough players fighting for every inch of the ice. Nate Schmidt called out the team for needing to find more ‘jam.’ Max Pacioretty feels that requires a group mindset and believes the message has been received. 2. Address the third period issues. The Knights were outscored 13-3 in the third period over their last eight games, including 3-0 in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Arizona. Despite the slide, the Knights are still outscoring opponents 56-51 in the third period. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury lamented after Tuesday’s loss that the team has struggled to retain that identity. “I feel like that third period used to be our strong one where we finish teams. It’s not happening now, and maybe we have to play well defensively — myself included — to give us a chance to stay in the game.” If Fleury (and other veteran members of the defensive core) are feeling fatigued, this may be the area it is showing up. The 34-year-old has played 50 games already this season, three more than any other goalie in the league. 3. Don’t get comfortable. The Knights are in a fairly unique situation in terms of the standings right now. As most teams fight and scrap for playoff spots, they sit firmly in the third and final automatic spot in the Pacific Division. The Knights are eight points behind Calgary for second place in the division and nine points back of San Jose. They are also nine points clear of Vancouver, so there isn’t a whole lot of pressure being applied in either direction at the moment. 4. Create havoc While the Knights have had some games with some impressive shot totals, including Tuesday night when they racked up 43, not all shots are created equal. Gallant reiterated Wednesday how little he cared about the stat. He wants dangerous opportunities, something forward Pierre- Edouard Bellemare elaborated on. “I feel like at times we make it a little bit easy on (opposing goaltenders). We’re just going to have to be a little bit more desperate.” The Knights started this eight-game stretch with back-to-back losses against Minnesota and Nashville in which they outshot their opponents by a combined 80-49 and were outscored 6-3. 5. Keep your hands to yourself The Knights still have very good numbers on the penalty kill, ranking sixth in the league in that category at 83.1 percent. They have 1130733 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves part of NHL Black History Month video

By Ben Gotz / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ryan Reaves said growing up in Winnipeg, , few of his fellow hockey players looked like him. So the Golden Knights forward was honored when the NHL asked him to take part in a video as part of its celebration of Black History Month. The clip, which was released on the league’s YouTube channel Monday, features Reaves visiting the Las Vegas barbershop Haircutz Don’t Lie and discussing how to make hockey more popular in the black community. “It’s obviously something that we need to talk about,” Reaves said. “I don’t think growing up in black communities, you’re watching hockey. You’re watching basketball, you’re watching football. I think that’s just the stereotype. It’s kind of true right now.” In the video, Reaves and the patrons and workers at the barbershop talked about how the cost of equipment and the access to ice rinks limits the black community’s participation in hockey and how showcasing the NHL’s black players more might help. Reaves is also confident that if the sport can reach people at a younger age, particularly if they go to T-Mobile Arena to see what he calls “the best North American sporting event you can go to right now,” hockey has a chance to grow in popularity. “When you grow up and you play hockey, you create a love for the game,” Reaves said. “That love always starts early. When you don’t have it in your life and you’re growing up with football, basketball, baseball, whatever it is, that’s just what you naturally gravitate towards when you get older.” Upping the intensity Coach Gerard Gallant had the Knights practice a few new drills Wednesday after critiquing his team’s play following a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. “I thought we had a great practice today. There was a little more passion, a little more work ethic,” Gallant said. “Today was a little more competitive just to get their noses a little bit more dirty. Hopefully it will carry over to tomorrow’s game.” Vegas flu Forwards Brandon Pirri and Tomas Nosek missed practice Wednesday due to illness. Gallant said he hoped both would be healthy before Thursday’s game. Gallant added Nosek was also sick Tuesday, when he was scratched against the Coyotes. New hire Knights president Kerry Bubolz announced Wednesday that the team hired Darren Eliot as its vice president of hockey programming and facility operations. Eliot will oversee City National Arena’s operations and serve as the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights program’s executive director. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130734 Vegas Golden Knights Reaves, for example, was traded by the Penguins in the middle of a game last season.

On Feb. 23, 2018, with the Penguins in Carolina, Reaves spent most of How I got traded? Golden Knights reveal what happened when they were the game in the visiting dressing room as a healthy scratch for the dealt second straight contest. Pittsburgh gave up Oskar Sundqvist and a first- round pick for Reaves the previous offseason, but he didn’t fit into the Penguins’ lineup and was playing only 6:45 per game. By Jesse Granger Feb 13, 2019 During the game Reaves saw reports that a trade was rejected by the NHL that would send Derick Brassard from Ottawa to Pittsburgh. Five years ago Brayden McNabb sat at the Chicago Rockford “I had no idea at all that I was involved,” Reaves said. “It was a complete International Airport with his teammates, scrolling shock to me. The only time I thought I was getting traded was when I through his Twitter timeline with the NHL’s trade deadline only hours heard Vegas was getting involved. I don’t know why. … They said it looks away. like Vegas is getting involved. For some reason when I read that I was like ‘I’m coming to Vegas.’ The Americans had just wrapped up a four-game road trip and were boarding a plane back to Rochester when McNabb saw a Tweet “One of my buddies texted me asking if it’s true. He sent me the tweet mentioning his name in a trade rumor involving the Sabres and Kings. and I said I haven’t heard anything yet.” He hadn’t heard anything from management, and before he knew it he A few minutes later Penguins GM Jim Rutherford informed Reaves that was on the plane. he was being traded to the Golden Knights. The 23-year-old AHL prospect spent the next two hours helplessly “The hardest thing is kind of wondering how you’re going to fit in with the suspended 35,000 feet in the air with no internet access, wondering what guys and the team,” Reaves said. “It was pretty easy for me here. I’m not organization he would be playing for when he landed. shy, so I just come in and make friends with everybody as quick as I can, and this is a great group of guys so it was kind of seamless for me.” “I’m like, ‘oh, God, what’s going on,’” McNabb told The Athletic. “I was talking to my teammate at the time, Drew Bagnall. He played in the L.A. Reaves’ wife, Alanna, and son, Kanen, didn’t join him in Las Vegas until organization and he was just assuring me that I’ll love the organization about a month after the trade. and they’re great, but I didn’t know what to think.” “Luckily for me I found a house pretty quickly,” Reaves said. “We went on McNabb’s entire professional hockey career to that point was based in the road fairly early so that gave me some time to make some phone Upstate New York, with 145 games with Rochester and 37 with the calls and get everything else set up before they came down.” Sabres, who drafted him in the third round in 2009. Some players — like Stastny — have a little more control over their fate When the plane landed McNabb’s phone was overflowing with missed during the trade deadline chaos. calls, text messages, Twitter notifications and voicemails. Last season Stastny was in the final year of his contract with the Blues He was dealt to the Kings along with two second-round picks and and knew there was a chance he could be moved at the deadline. Jonathan Parker in exchange for Hudson Fasching and Nicolas Deslauriers. “When you’re in a position where you know the team is going to be sellers then you can have a different mindset,” Stastny said. “You can “You create bonds with your teammates and coaching staff, so it’s have an idea mentally and your family knows you may get moved. Being tough,” McNabb said. “It’s not fun until you get comfortable where you in the league for a while you learn that nobody is untouchable. No matter are, but you are so close with your teammates so it kind of sucks leaving how good you are you never know. If the best player ever got traded then them.” why can’t you?” With the NHL’s Feb. 25 trade deadline quickly approaching, The Athletic Contenders from around the NHL approached St. Louis with offers for the spoke with Golden Knights players McNabb, William Carrier, Ryan veteran center in an attempt to bolster their chances at a deep Reaves and Paul Stastny — all of which have been traded at the postseason run. deadline — to get the player’s perspective of one of the craziest days on the hockey calendar. The only problem was Stastny had a no-movement clause in his contract, and the Blues could only deal him with his permission. Dozens of deals will cross the desks at the league office, and each will be carefully examined for how the transaction affects each team “That got brought up by management a couple days before the trade involved, but what’s often lost is the human element to mid-season happened,” Stastny recalled. “They said, ‘Obviously we gave you the no- trades. trade clause so we respect your decision. You don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to.’ I spoke with my agent, my advisor and my dad, of Players receive a phone call informing them they have a flight to catch in course. If I was going to do this it wasn’t going to be for just any team. I a few hours. Right now, the most important thing is convening with their needed to fit in well, and the team needed to have a legitimate chance to new team and getting on the ice as soon as possible. Once that’s taken win a Stanley Cup.” care of they can move on to things like finding a house, moving their family across the continent and sometimes finding schools for their On Feb. 26, 2018, Stastny was dealt to the Jets in exchange for prospect children. Erik Foley and two conditional draft picks. But each player discovers they’ve been traded through different means, “You almost feel alone a little bit,” Stastny said. “You get traded and all of perhaps none stranger than Carrier’s experience on Feb. 28, 2014. a sudden you’re packing up your stuff and meeting the team wherever they are. If they’re playing that night or the next night you’re jumping right Only 19 years old at the time, Carrier was playing junior hockey for the into it. For me, I was more worried about my family and how they would . During the second period of a game against make the transition, but my wife was more worried about me. So it turned the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, players from the opposing team began out good.” asking Carrier between plays about being traded. Stastny’s family joined him in Winnipeg a few weeks after the trade. “They were asking me what was up. I had no idea what they were talking Knowing he would be an unrestricted free agent when the season ended, about,” Carrier said. “I had just been traded from one junior team to he only rented a house. His integration onto the Jets was seamless. another so I thought maybe that’s what they were referring to.” “After a day or two with your new team you get comfortable because 95 During the second intermission Voltigeurs general manager Dominic percent of the guys in the league are cut from the same cloth,” Stastny Ricard approached Carrier in the dressing room to inform him his NHL said. “It’s such a small league that you pretty much personally know rights were traded from the Blues to the Sabres. someone on every team, or know someone through one of your buddies.” “It was all over Twitter and everyone knew except me basically, because I was playing,” Carrier said. “Luckily I was still in junior when I got moved, The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 so it’s not like I was part of a team, living there and stuff.” Carrier finished out the third period and the season with Drummondville before making his professional debut the next season in the Sabres organization, so his trade was much less earth-shattering than some. 1130735 Washington Capitals

As Capitals’ penalties mount, so does team’s frustration

By Isabelle Khurshudyan February 13

COLUMBUS, OHIO — After another game in which the Washington Capitals’ penalty summary was longer than their opponent’s, players quietly packed their equipment bags and explained how another night with too many whistles going against them hurt the team in a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Capitals didn’t allow a power-play goal, but the damage was done in other ways, disrupting their flow early in a game in which they never established one. “Same old story with the penalties,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “Especially on a back-to-back night, it just wears you down and takes a lot of energy out of you.” The Capitals’ legs were already tired after they played Monday night in Washington, and two stick infractions in the first period Tuesday had them on their heels early, keeping skill players cold on the bench while those who play on the penalty kill were taxed. Washington was called for a hat trick of hooking minors in the first period against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, and while the team went on to win that game, 6-4, the issue persisted in Columbus. The Capitals took five minor penalties to the Blue Jackets’ two, the continuation of an unfortunate trend that left the team tied for the league lead in minors with 206 through Tuesday’s games. Coach Todd Reirden sent a message earlier this month when he benched forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitrij Jaskin for the remainder of the first period after they each committed early stick penalties outside of the defensive zone against the Boston Bruins. Asked what it’s going to take for the team to learn its lesson, Orpik said, “I don’t know.” “It felt like we weren’t really five-on-five that much,” forward Tom Wilson said after Tuesday’s loss. “First period, second period, we’re killing an awful lot. . . . You know, it’s going to happen. It’s the game of hockey. It’s fast, and guys are trying hard. It’s not that there’s no effort, but it’s hard to score shorthanded, and in a game like tonight, it just kind of takes the flow away. Guys that aren’t killing are sitting on the bench, and then they go out with someone else’s line and they’re not used to playing together. It just kind of messes it up. We’ve got to find a way to move our feet and play disciplined, and that’ll help our team game a lot, I think.” Washington’s issues against Columbus went far beyond penalties — “We just got outplayed the whole night,” Orpik said — but each call that puts the Capitals shorthanded adds to frustration that the issue has so frequently been addressed and not yet solved. The Blue Jackets had three full power plays with a fourth one that was abbreviated. And while, as goaltender Braden Holtby pointed out, that’s not an abnormal number, it’s the 10th time in the past 20 games that Washington has been shorthanded more than it has been up a man. In that span, the Capitals have had more power plays than their opponent five times. The silver lining is that the penalty kill, which struggled mightily to start the season, has improved, allowing just three power-play goals in the past eight games. But perhaps more concerning than the Capitals repeatedly taking penalties is why it’s happening, seemingly the result of Washington getting hemmed into its own zone too often. “We were a step behind, and what happens when you’re a step behind is you end up using your stick,” Reirden said. “We were on the wrong side of some battles, and we used our stick to defend. And those are penalties. That’s an important part of game management in a back-to- back and a situation where the other team is fresh, and that’s difficult to overcome when you have to exert all of your energy trying to kill off penalties.” Washington Post LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130736 Washington Capitals

Capitals potential trade deadline target: The case for and against Gustav Nyquist

By J.J. Regan February 13, 2019

The Washington Capitals are the defending Stanley Cup Champions and are all-in on going for the repeat. Does that mean we could see a trade before the trade deadline? With the NHL trade deadline rapidly approaching on Feb. 25, there are a number of players believed to be available. But who makes sense for the Caps? This week, we will be exploring a possible trade deadline target from Monday through Friday and look into why they do and do not make sense for Washington to pursue. Today’s target: Forward Gustav Nyquist, 29, Detroit Red Wings Why it makes sense Detroit isn’t making the playoffs and it makes no sense for them to hold onto a very productive player who will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Nyquist is currently second on the Red Wings in points with 47. He has top-six skill, but what really jumps out when you watch him play is how opportunistic he is. If the puck is in the offensive zone, he is going to the front of the net for rebounds or deflections and seems to find himself in the perfect position to pick up those high-danger chances. He is also good in his own end of the ice and smart with the breakout whether it means a quick pass out to start the rush or taking it himself. Why it doesn’t make sense Nyquist has a no-trade clause. Not a modified no-trade clause, but a full no-trade clause. If he doesn’t want to come to Washington, that’s the end of the discussion. The deal would also mean Detroit would have to retain quite a bit of his salary even if Andre Burakovsky is part of the deal as Nyquist’s cap hit is $4.75 million. Nyquist may not be the same level of player as an Artemi Panarin, but he is one of the best players available at this year’s deadline and Detroit knows it. This team managed to get a first, second and third round pick last season for Tomas Tatar and he had fewer points when he was traded than Nyquist has now. There is going to be a long line of suitors for Nyquist and that will make this a very, very expensive deal to make for a Caps team that is already without its fifth and sixth round draft picks for 2019. Verdict For me personally, I would never trade a first round pick for a rental. Ever. For a team like Detroit that is rebuilding, you would think a first round draft pick would be the starting point for any deal for Nyquist so that’s a non-starter for me. Having said that, if there is some way to talk the price down, this would be a great move. Nyquist’s skill level would allow Washington the flexibility to plug him onto the second line to play with fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom. Then you could move T.J. Oshie down to the third line which would decrease his minutes and allow him to play with Lars Eller who he has chemistry with. The asking price will be prohibitive and I do not see it happening, but if there’s any way to get it done without having to sell the farm – perhaps a deal similar to the one San Jose made for Evander Kane last season – this would be a heck of a pickup for Washington. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130737 Washington Capitals “I feel like we’re just doing our part. But it means a lot to people, especially when you see us marching in the parade here and the support that the Capitals have given, too,” Holtby said. “It means a lot for fans, Encouraged by his wife, Braden Holtby continues actively championing especially, to know that they’re included and they’re included in our team the LGBTQ community as well no mater what their circumstances are. We’re all a family and a hockey community and we want to see that out.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.14.2019 By Brian McNally February 13, 2019

ARLINGTON – For Capitals goalie Braden Holtby and his wife, Brandi, it was a small gesture, but one they hope has an outsized impact because of who he is and the sport he plays. Speaking at the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner in Washington on Sept. 18, the Holtbys continued their support of the LGBTQ community when he introduced figure skater Adam Rippon, the first openly gay skater to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. That support is crystalized during Hockey is for Everyone month, a time of added attention to initiatives that foster social change through and in the sport. The Holtbys have long been part of that work – and not just during February. Hockey is a sport where diversity is lacking. That’s changing at the grass roots level as it takes off in bigger American cities and it’s there the Holtbys figure they can make a difference. “You can definitely see there’s changes being made to people’s mindset and the main thing is you want to impact the youth,” Braden Holtby said. “You want to hit that ground level so there’s respect paid from Day 1 for a person’s life and realize the importance of it. Don’t do something you don’t understand and will regret later.” It’s something Brandi has always keenly felt growing up and helped her husband understand. On a trip to for their honeymoon, the couple walked into an HRC Action Center and Store in a house once owned by Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California as a member of the San Francisco board of supervisors. Milk, whose home and camera shop were located in the heart of the Castro District in San Francisco, was assassinated in 1978. The Holtbys spent a few hours talking with volunteers and learning about the organization. You might have seen the ubiquitous blue stickers with yellow stripes signifying an equals sign on cars throughout the D.C. region and the country. HRC is the largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group in the country. “I’ve never really been a guy for the spotlight or anything like that,” Holtby said. “I didn’t do enough early on in my career and my wife has been the one to push me to use that a bit more because you can use that for good.” The Holtbys showed their support in other ways. They have twice marched in the Capital Pride Parade and three times attended the Capital Pride Festival, which it is a part of. Last year Holtby was celebrating the Capitals’ Stanley Cup victory and couldn’t make the parade, but he was at the national dinner in September at the Washington Convention Center. It’s all part of starting a conversation in the sport about LGBTQ issues. “Especially with LGBT rights and everything it’s not a weird thing any more, people understand it better,” Holtby said. “That shows through in inclusion and it shows through in the way people live their lives. Having that empathy, it’s something you may not have thought of, especially if you grow up and play hockey your whole life and there’s one way to do things. We want people to think on a broader .” Holtby said that trip to San Francisco early in their marriage was just the introduction to HRC, but that Brandi had always thought the issue of LGBT rights merited her support. “You know different people, you meet different people, whether family or otherwise, and you hear stories that you didn’t think actually happened and you don’t think is right,” Holtby said. “And that’s a big reason why she wants to push those the right way so people have a little more kindness and empathy. It’s just a small part, but hopefully if you can effect a couple people – especially the way the world is today – I think it’s good.” If reaching young hockey players is the main goal, the topic of LGBTQ issues can still come up organically in an NHL dressing room, too. Holtby was proud that three Capitals teammates – Brett Connolly, Chandler Stephenson and Nathan Walker – came to the HRC dinner where he made the introductory. They all had a preseason game the next day, but made the effort anyway to support Holtby and support the cause. There is strength in numbers. 1130738 Washington Capitals Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella joined Anderson in saying he had no issue with Wilson’s check after the game Tuesday.

“It was a clean hit,” the coach said. 439 pounds of bad intentions: Josh Anderson withstands collision with Tom Wilson Once Anderson got back to the locker room, after the Wilson check, he figured the worst was over. His head was clear. His shoulders were fine. He had the wind knocked out of him. It’s the price players sometimes pay By Tom Reed Feb 13, 2019 in collision sports. And, then Anderson tried standing up. COLUMBUS, Ohio — Josh Anderson said he could not breathe for about “I couldn’t stand up straight,” he recalled. “I was bent over for like 10 40 seconds after his high-speed collision with Tom Wilson on Tuesday minutes.” night inside Nationwide Arena. His chest and stomach radiated with pain. In an attempt to calm him, That wasn’t the scary part. Anderson said, the medical staff placed him flat on a table and raised his legs. The Blue Jackets winger returned to the locker room midway through the first period and spent about 10 minutes hunched over unable to stand up Although the pain subsided, Anderson said his body ached for the rest of straight. the game the way it does when in the grips of the flu. That wasn’t the scary part. “His first shift (in the second period) he was kind of feeling it out a little bit,” Tortorella said. “Once he felt comfortable, he was determined. He’s It was the moment when every muscle in Anderson’s abdomen — where been good for us. That was a very important line for us playing against Wilson planted his right shoulder — seemed to seize up at once. The their top line most of the night. moment when the Blue Jackets’ trainers laid him face up on a table and lifted his legs perpendicular to his body in hopes of getting him some “Andy did a lot of hounding of the puck and protecting the puck. That’s a relief. big blow for us if we lose him in that situation. … High marks. He comes back and plays a really good (second and) third period.” That was the scary part. Anderson, who has 19 goals and 10 assists, helped the Blue Jackets win “My muscles started seizing and it was like a pain I had never felt their fourth consecutive game. They have beaten the Capitals three times before,” Anderson said. “So, I thought there was something seriously this season in four tries, but Tuesday was the first win over Washington wrong.” at home. The agony lasted for about 10 minutes. And once it abated, Anderson did The Blue Jackets lost all three playoff games at Nationwide Arena last what so many NHL players tend to do. He grabbed his helmet and a stick season and were embarrassed by the Capitals, 4-0, here on Dec. 8. and looked for somebody else to hit. “If we are going to have any sniff at all, we’ve got to figure out our home Anderson returned to action and played the final two periods, registering play,” said Tortorella of a club that’s been better on the road this season. a third-period assist in an impressive 3-0 win over the Capitals. From down on all fours to up for any task, Anderson demonstrated his mettle to The Blue Jackets dominated an opponent that looked ragged after teammates and fans. posting a 6-4 win over the Kings on Monday night in Washington. The defending Cup champions were outshot 24-7 through two periods by the Along with Nick Foligno and Boone Jenner, he helped blanket the Blue Jackets but were still only a goal down with 20 minutes remaining. Capitals’ top line, limiting it to four shots. Anderson made sure the lead was not squandered. He was on the ice for “That’s how he is — he’s a warrior,” Foligno said of Anderson. “(I) knew both third-period goals, supplying the lone assist on Artemi Panarin’s he’d find a way to get back.” empty netter in the final seconds. It was a nice way to end a painful night. It continued a strong run of play for Anderson, who has six goals and six “I thought we played the right way,” Anderson said. “You can tell our assists in the past 17 games. It also was a show of character against one game is coming along.” of his chief rivals in Wilson, a player to whom he’s often likened. The Blue Jackets sit third in the Metro Division two points behind the Anderson and Wilson are bruising power forwards who skate well and Capitals. They don’t play again in the regular season, but there’s a create chaos in the offensive zone. Each is a top-six winger with the chance these teams meet in the postseason’s first round. ability to score goals. The biggest difference is Wilson has a Stanley Cup ring and a reserved parking space outside the NHL’s Department of Capitals versus Blue Jackets. Tom Wilson versus Josh Anderson. Better Player Safety. brace for impact. Anderson is no fan of Wilson — the players fought last season and twice The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 in juniors — but after the game, the Blue Jackets winger emphasized it was a legal hit. Anderson did not need to go through concussion protocol. Midway through the first period, he was cruising down the left wing in the Capitals’ zone when he spied Wilson barreling toward him, chasing a loose puck along the wall. Suddenly, 439 pounds of bad intentions collided in front of the Papa John’s signage. Anderson braced for impact. Wilson drove his right shoulder into his opponent’s chest. The crowd of 15,701 fans went still as Anderson momentarily lie face down on the ice. He quickly rose to his hands and knees as a trainer rushed to his side. Anderson remained down for about 90 seconds before being helped to the locker room. “For about 40 seconds, I couldn’t breathe,” Anderson said. “Another five seconds and I would have been passed out. It was that close.” Last season’s playoff series — won by the Capitals in six games — escalated hostilities between the two clubs. Wilson, who’s been suspended four times for hits in the past two seasons, drew the ire of the Blue Jackets for his concussive blow to Alexander Wennberg in Game 1 of the series. Wilson’s history of cheap shots makes it convenient for some fans to forget he’s a talented winger who skates on the Capitals’ top line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. He’s scored a combined 28 goals in the past two regular seasons. 1130739 Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 02.14.2019

Virtual Hellebuyck helps Canadian gamer

By: Jason Bell

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will play along with Patrik Laine and the two finalists in a single-game, two-on-two match once the championship has been settled. Justin Reguly got some big goals from Patrik Laine and some monster saves from Connor Hellebuyck during qualifying for the Winnipeg Jets NHL 19 video game championship. Now, the Thunder Bay, Ont., teen can express his gratitude to the real- life stars when he meets them next week. Justin Reguly Reguly will vie for the first-ever Jets tournament title — and the prize money that comes with it — on Monday afternoon, but he’s far more excited about getting the opportunity to share some screen time with the Jets’ resident gaming gurus. "I definitely think I’m looking forward more to that two-on-two match than the one-on-one for the money. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone," said Reguly, 17. "The fact I get to do that is incredible. They are big names. I watch a lot of hockey and my favourite team is Boston, but I like Winnipeg because they’re a Canadian team and they’ve got some great players." The Jets tournament began with more than 1,300 participants from 46 provinces and states across Canada and the U.S. in early January. Reguly, an honour role Grade 12 student, and Josh Fuss from Greenwich, Conn., were the last competitors standing. Reguly won the PS4 bracket, while his U.S. opponent won the Xbox One bracket. Both players earned their spot in the final by finishing first in a six-person closed qualifying round on each platform last weekend. The two will compete inside a private suite at Bell MTS Place during the game on Monday at 2 p.m. The top prize is $4,500, and the runner-up receives $2,000. The best-of- five final will be streamed live at twitch.tv/winnipegjetsofficial as well as on the Jets’ Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts. Once the championship has been settled, the two finalists will play alongside Laine and Hellebuyck in a single-game, two-on-two match immediately after the Moose play the . "What a story to tell for the next 20 years. It’s incredible," said Reguly, who admits to gaming about four hours a day. "I generally cycle between three teams, Winnipeg being one of them, and Tampa and Pittsburgh. I’ve had lots of practice with Winnipeg and I enjoy using them. "(Hellebuyck) helped a lot in the qualifier. He made a bunch of saves for me, so I’ll have to thank him." Reguly said he kept his bedroom door shut to all distractions last Sunday with a trip to the finals on the line. "I made sure no one came in," he said, laughing. "Total concentration, just me, some music." It’s the first meeting between the two video-game aficionados in the flesh. "(Fuss) is someone I’ve played Xbox with for about two years online, so it’s going to be cool to meet him," Reguly said. The league held the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship last season. Reguly finished third in the Canadian regionals but narrowly missed advancing to the world championship in Las Vegas. Only the top two moved on. Winnipeg is one of the first NHL organizations to follow up with its own official tournament. "It’s certainly exciting for us and it’s an area that’s growing rapidly. Coming on the heels off the NHL’s initial foray into Esports with the NHL Gaming World Championships last June, we wanted to ensure we were at the forefront of NHL team participation in Esports," said Dan Hursh, True North Sports & Entertainment’s vice-president and general counsel. "(The Canada-U.S. matchup) is really going to be a fun component of the finals. We didn’t know what to expect but we had a lot of participation from Canadian and American NHL 19 gamers, so it’s great to see one from each in the finals." 1130740 Winnipeg Jets "The correlation is that we have seven veteran defenceman," Maurice said. "(Josh) Morrissey and (Jacob) Trouba aren’t kids anymore, they’re vets, just based on their minutes and experience alone. So, when we Morrow munching more minutes lose one — and Dustin (Byfuglien) is a dynamic player but he’s just one guy ... but we’re putting veteran guys in. We’re deep enough on our back Veteran defenceman enjoys quality playing time end to miss a guy." Morrow said it’s exciting to be a contributing member of a blue-line corps that seemingly doesn’t miss a beat when one of its key members goes By: Jason Bell down, adding that adaptability is a positive sign for a Stanley Cup contender.

"Coming down the stretch here, when the games get harder... everyone’s Jets veteran defenceman Joe Morrow, left, is making the most of coming in playing their best games against us and everybody’s getting increased playing time. He scored a goal and added an assist in his most ready to suit up for the playoffs and that’s when injuries happen," he said. recent game Tuesday. "The games get a little harder, a little rougher, and guys are pushing Joe Morrow remains a plug-and-play performer on a Winnipeg Jets blue themselves past that threshold to get ready for everything. line that continues to hold strong, even when it’s battered and bruised. "So, to have that versatility in the lineup where somebody goes down and He doesn’t need a whole lot of coddling at this stage of his NHL career, somebody else fills in and there’s no real lack of performance from the despite suiting up for just 159 NHL games over parts of five seasons with back end or on the forward side of things, that’s a big part of how the the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets. ownership and the brass has built the team." Morrow clearly understands his lot in life with the Jets organization. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 02.14.2019 Picked up at the trade deadline a year ago to provide some insurance to a defensive corps that was rarely 100 per cent healthy, Morrow has demonstrated then and now that despite being down a few rungs on the depth ladder, he can be more than just a stop-gap veteran when others go down to injury. He’s had rotating partners during his time in Winnipeg, and, with Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) still on the mend, head coach Paul Maurice has paired him with towering, right-side defenceman . The reviews have been favourable. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old from Edmonton had his finest offensive night of the season in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. He sent a slick pass to Mark Scheifele for the game’s first goal and then unloaded from the point to beat goalie Henrik Lundqvist — Morrow’s first tally of the season — and tie the game at 5:22 of the third period. It was his first goal since Game 1 of a first-round playoff series with the Minnesota Wild this past season, when he wired the game-winner in the franchise’s first post-season triumph. Morrow, who played his 38th game of the 2018-19 season Tuesday, said possessing the confidence of the coaching staff is a boon not just to the mind, but the body as well. "I think the last couple of games, I’ve had a lot of opportunity to skate the puck and to be able to possess (it) more," Morrow said. "Developing more chemistry with (Myers) game to game, it gets better and better. It’s a big part of the flow of the game, when there are penalties and you’re not on special teams, you have to fight that lull in the game to try and stay focused. "But the past few games have been pretty good for that. (Maurice) has been good for keeping me out on the ice and keeping that consistent flow to the game, so I think that’s played a huge part in how I’ve progressed." The Jets (36-18-3) host the Colorado Avalanche (22-23-11) tonight at Bell MTS Place. Game time is 7 p.m. Morrow dressed for 19 of the club’s first 23 games, but was felled by an injury at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins in late November. He was sidelined for eight games and then was a healthy scratch for seven more when Kulikov returned from sick bay. When Dustin Byfuglien tweaked an ankle against the visiting Minnesota Wild in late December, Morrow was inserted into the lineup New Year’s Eve in Edmonton, and has been a fixture since. Back-filling due to injuries on the blue line is nothing new for the Central Division club. Late in the 2016-17 campaign, the big club was ravaged by injuries and management had to dip way down the Manitoba Moose roster, selecting Nelson Nogier to fill out its defensive corps. Nogier’s presence has been required only once this season, while Sami Niku has been activated for 11 games and Cam Schilling has played four times. Tucker Poolman played 24 regular-season games and a pair of post-season contests this past season, but has yet to wear a Jets jersey this year (an injury prevented him from being called up on at least one occasion). For the most part, at least six members of Winnipeg’s top seven have, each night, managed to answer the call of duty. The club has the luxury of a stable of bona fide everyday NHLers. 1130741 Winnipeg Jets Since 2011, the Jets rookies have played in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. Ehlers' return delayed for up to three weeks Here's Winnipeg's schedule (all games at 6 p.m.): Friday, Sept. 6: Ottawa vs. Winnipeg By: Jason Bell Sunday, Sept. 8: Montreal vs. Winnipeg Monday, Sept. 9: Winnipeg vs. Ottawa Nikolaj Ehlers' return to the Jets lineup can no longer be characterized as Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 02.14.2019 imminent. The speedy Danish-born forward, who turns 23 on Thursday, could be out another three weeks with an upper-body injury suffered Jan. 4 in Pittsburgh, said Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice, following the team's optional skate Wednesday. It was suggested Ehlers might be ready for Saturday's game against the visiting Ottawa Senators, but the time frame was altered once he saw a doctor Tuesday. "He didn't have a setback but he just had an appointment yesterday, and we're looking at another week or two, at least," said Maurice. "He was getting close to the end of the window, wasn't feeling a whole lot better and then we had it checked again. So, it's going to be longer than we thought." The end of February now seems likely, he said. Ehlers, who was hurt in a collision with Penguins star centre Sidney Crosby, has missed 17 games for the Jets. Prior to going down, he had 15 goals and 12 assists in 40 games. The bulk of that time he was grouped with centre Mark Scheifele and right-winger Blake Wheeler, although Kyle Connor has been dynamite filling in on that line since Ehlers was shelved. But his explosiveness and the special attention he demands from opponents is missed, said Jets centre Bryan Little. "His speed is one of the main things. He's one of the faster players on our team, and when he's got the puck it just seems like he finds another gear," said Little. "Something I didn't really notice until he left is his ability to draw penalties. When he is carrying the puck and with that speed, he makes guys haul him down a lot and he draws penalties that way." Mark Scheifele scored his 29th and 30th goals of the season Tuesday against the New York Rangers and set up one more. He's a shooter and a playmaker, Coach Paul Maurice says. Admittedly, Maurice chugged too much coffee Wednesday and was even chattier than normal with reporters following the team's optional skate at Bell MTS Place. He had plenty to say about the team's premier centre the morning after Mark Scheifele fired his 29th and 30th goals of the season — making him one of only a dozen stars to reach 30 with fewer than eight weeks left in the 2018-19 campaign. Scheifele is tied with linemate, right-winger Blake Wheeler for ninth (68) in the NHL point-scoring race, and the 25-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., is on pace for a career-best 98-point campaign. His previous high was 82 points in 79 games two seasons ago. Maurice spoke glowingly about the 6-3, 207-pound former first-round pick (2011), refusing to place a ceiling on what the first-time NHL all-star can accomplish. "If you were to ask me is Mark a shooter or a passer, I don’t have an answer for you. He had no shot attempts in the first two or three games (in Round 1 of the '17-18 playoffs against the Minnesota Wild). And then it changed and he set an NHL record for road goals. So he can do both, truly. He can make those plays but he is a shooter," said Maurice. "He’s a bit of everything, maybe that’s the best answer. He’s a really fit guy, he understands the game, he’s constantly working on his game so he will eventually check all the boxes. "I have a higher opinion of Mark Scheifele than he has. I think he has that (ability) to be a one-team player that wins cups, and is the captain of it at some point and gets a bronze statue in front of the building kind of guy. I do." There will be no West Coast trip for the young stars of the Winnipeg Jets this fall. Instead, the Jets rookies will join the hopefuls of the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens for a showcase of the teams' prospects in early September in Belleville, Ont. Winnipeg will play the Sens and Habs rookies and then close out the tournament against Ottawa's rookies again. 1130742 Winnipeg Jets Joe Morrow-Tyler Myers Goalies GAMEDAY: Five keys to Jets vs Avalanche Connor Hellebuyck Laurent Brossoit Ken Wiebe Colorado Avalanche Forwards Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche Gabriel Landeskog-Nathan MacKinnon-Mikko Rantanen 7 pm CT. Bell MTS Place TV: TSN3. Radio: TSN 1290 Alexander Kerfoot-Tyson Jost-J.T. Compher THE BIG MATCHUP Matt Nieto-Carl Soderberg-Matt Calvert Jets vs Avalanche top line Sven Andrighetto-Sheldon Dries-Colin Wilson For a good chunk of the season, the Avalanche have been carried by its Defence top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. But the trio has gone cold of late, combining for only three goals and nine Samuel Girard-Erik Johnson points during the eight-game losing skid for the Avalanche. Despite the Patrik Nemeth-Tyson Barrie dry spell, it’s one of the most dangerous and productive lines in the NHL, so the Jets will surely be paying attention to trying to shut it down. Ryan Graves-Nikika Zadorov 5 keys to the game Goalies Home domination Semyon Varlamov Despite a recent 0-2-1 “rough patch” the Jets remain the best team in the Philipp Grubauer NHL on home ice. They’ve collected 17 of a possible 18 points while going 8-0-1 during this most recent stretch and they’re 21-6-3 for the Injuries season at Bell MTS Place. In comparison, the Avalanche are 12-12-6 on Jets: D Dmitry Kulikov (upper body, day-to-day), LW Nikolaj Ehlers the road to go along with a record of 4-7-3 within the Central Division. (upper body, IR) The Jets are 10-7 versus the Central. Avalanche: C Vladislav Kamenev (shoulder, IR) Secondary production POWER PLAY The fourth line of Andrew Copp between Mason Appleton and Brendan Lemieux has done a nice job inspiring the trust and confidence of head Winnipeg: 25.6.% (4th) coach Paul Maurice and is earning more ice time. In Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, Copp finished off a pass from Avalanche: 23.0% (7th) Appleton for the game-winning goal. Copp has four goals and 12 points during his past 19 games and has six goals and 16 points in 44 games, PENALTY KILLING Lemieux is up to nine goals and 11 points in 41 games this season and Winnipeg 79.8% (T17th) Appleton has three goals and 10 points in 31 games. Avalanche: 76.0% (28th) Finding his form Winnipeg Sun LOADED 02.14.2019 Playing his fourth game since returning from an ankle injury, Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was a physical force against the Rangers, delivering punishing checks on Jimmy Vesey, Jesper Fast (which resulted in an elbowing minor) and Neil Pionk. Byfuglien has one assist in those four games, but he still has an impact on the game even when he’s not producing offence. Slump busters? Jets sniper Patrik Laine had only two shot attempts as his goal drought reached 12 games on Tuesday. He’s not the only Jets forward who hasn’t scored in a while. Centre Adam Lowry has been generating an abundance of chances, but has now gone 16 games without scoring. Lowry has seven goals and 14 points in 55 games this season. Turn the tables The Avalanche found themselves tied for first place in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators on Dec. 7 with an impressive record of 17-7-5, but since that time it has been anything but smooth sailing. By going 5-16-6, the Avalanche fell outside of the Top-8 in the Western Conference and are tied for sixth spot in the Central Division with the Chicago Blackhawks. GAME DAY LINEUPS Winnipeg Jets Forwards Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler Patrik Laine-Bryan Little-Jack Roslovic Mathieu Perreault-Adam Lowry-Brandon Tanev Brendan Lemieux-Andrew Copp-Mason Appleton Defence Josh Morrissey-Jacob Trouba Ben Chiarot-Dustin Byfuglien 1130743 Winnipeg Jets “His path was a bit more unconventional,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “A lot of stars come in and they’re good players and they’re playing a ton of minutes right away. (The Jets) kind of took their time with his Statue worthy? Maurice sees big things ahead for Scheifele development and didn’t rush him. They let him develop at his own pace and he’s gotten better and better every year. Just watching him this year, he’s still getting better. Ken Wiebe “You think he has reached a level and then he comes back the next year and he’s on a different level again. That just goes to (show) how hard he works and how much he tries to improve his game every year.” Paul Maurice isn’t prone to exaggeration. Following consecutive campaigns of being a point per game player, Scheifele is on pace to reach new heights once again. And the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets is usually pretty cautious when it comes to tossing out praise that could lead to heightened expectations With two goals and an assist against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, on an individual. Scheifele is up to 30 goals and 68 points in 57 games – which puts him on pace to shatter his career highs in both goals (32) and points (82), That’s what made his comments about Jets centre Mark Scheifele on both set in 2016-17. Wednesday afternoon stand out so much. Scheifele is the type of driven individual that sets goals, though he Since Scheifele had reached the 30-goal plateau for the second time in doesn’t write them down, nor is he interested in sharing how far along he his career one night earlier in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, it is on the path. was natural for the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft to be among the prominent storylines as the Jets worked through an optional Those are stored in his memory, locked away for safekeeping. skate. His sole focus is to continue to get better on a daily basis. But when a second round of questions about Scheifele broke out of Maurice’s daily session, the praise hit a whole new level when he was “You definitely hit goals all the time,” said Scheifele. “Obviously, I’ve got asked about where his ceiling might be. to numbers that I like, but there is still a lot of the season left and a lot of games to play. There is still a lot of work to do.” “I have a higher opinion of Mark Scheifele than he has,” said Maurice. “These rankings are tough, what is he 15th in the world? I think he has That line of thinking has been working out pretty well for Scheifele thus that (potential) to be a one-team player that wins cups, and is the captain far, so don’t expect him to change his approach anytime soon. of it at some point and gets a bronze statue in front of the building kind of guy. I do. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 02.14.2019 “In order to do that, you have got to play 20 years, you got to win Stanley Cups, you eventually have to captain the team. There’s some Yzerman there. I was in Windsor-Detroit wen Steve Yzerman was going through that whole process. There was a stretch of time that whether it was media or call-in shows where you had to get rid of Steve Yzerman because he couldn’t lead. Before that team turned, there were empty seats, they were giving away a car a night and then that team turned. They brought in some other guys, Steve Yzerman got older and boom, they became a pretty good franchise.” Scheifele and the Jets continue a three-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. When it comes to modern-day players that spent their entire career on one team and won the Stanley Cup (or Cups), Yzerman and Mario Lemieux are pretty much the gold standard. Maurice obviously believes Scheifele has the potential to be among that class by the time his career is over. And for good reason. Scheifele has blossomed into one of the best pivots in the NHL, but his path wasn’t the same as some of the other higher draft picks, whether it be Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and of the Buffalo Sabres in 2015 or Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. That trio all stepped right into the NHL and grabbed a large role immediately, adjusting on the fly. Scheifele made the Jets out of training camp in each of his first two shots, but was sent back to the Barrie Colts of the twice before becoming a full-timer during the 2013-14 season. “That was my path. Obviously, I’m happy with it now,” said Scheifele. “Definitely, it had (taken) its tolls at times. You had the ups-and-downs, some good days and some bad days. But everything happens for the reason.” Those weren’t easy decisions for the Jets either, since many teams around the NHL were giving young first-rounders a shot to work through their deficiencies with the big club. “That was a tough call for them because they had a really good understanding of how good the Jets were at that time,” said Maurice. “They knew they weren’t contending. So there is a desire to just put him in and play him anyway because we know we’ve got another year and he’s going to get better, but the best thing for his development wasn’t. So, it was just a really good call not to give in to the trend and give him another year to get better.” Getting better has become an annual tradition for Scheifele since arriving on the scene. 1130744 Winnipeg Jets still be dynamic in that game, can still generate, doesn’t have to play one game or the other. So, he’s that two-way player.”

The other part of Scheifele’s game that’s hard to define is whether he’s a Morrow making most of chance: Injuries on back end gave Jets D-man playmaker or a finisher – because he can do both of those things very more playing time well. “A really good set of hands to do more than one thing. If you were to ask Ken Wiebe me is Mark a shooter or a passer, I don’t have an answer for you,” said Maurice. “He can do both, truly. He can make those plays, but he is a shooter. He’s a bit of everything, maybe that’s the best answer. He’s worked to be a bit of everything. Joe Morrow understands where he sits on the depth chart. “He’s a really fit guy, he understands the game, he’s constantly working Morrow’s ability to not let that get him down has allowed him to be ready on his game so he will eventually check all the boxes. He’s going to be a when called upon as the Winnipeg Jets dealt with a series of injuries on really good penalty killer at some point, he’s going to be a really good the back end this season. power-play guy, good two-way five-on-five guy. His faceoffs are going to get better, too. He’s going to make sure he works hard enough that he’s Morrow had his most productive game of the season in Tuesday’s 4-3 good at everything by the time he’s done.” victory over the New York Rangers, setting up Mark Scheifele for the opening goal of the contest and delivering a point shot that tied the game Scheifele came into the NHL as more of a playmaker, but he’s always early in the third period. had a quick release and accurate shot. “The last couple of games, I’ve had a lot of opportunity to skate the puck “I still don’t think I’m really a shoot-first player. I’m always looking for the and to be able to possess (it) more,” said Morrow, who has a goal and six best option,” Scheifele. “We (as a line) look for the best option. The best points in 38 games this season. “Developing more chemistry with (Tyler option to score, the best option to get a chance to get a possession, that Myers) game to game, it gets better and better. It’s a big part of the flow has to be our mindset all of the time – whether it’s in the D-zone, the of the game when there are penalties and you’re not on special teams. neutral zone or the offensive zone, it’s always (about) making the right You have to fight that lull. That has played a huge part in how I’ve play and making the best play to help our line succeed.” progressed.” MOVING EAST The Jets host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The Jets announced on Wednesday afternoon that they’ll be joining the Just over a year ago, Morrow was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens Senators and Canadiens for the 2019 Rookie Showcase from Sept. 6 to as a depth defenceman prior to the NHL trade deadline, an insurance 9 at CAA Arena in Belleville, Ont. policy, if you will. Since returning to the NHL in 2011, the Jets have taken part in the Being out of the lineup for extended periods of time as the seventh YoungStars Classic in Penticton, B.C. defenceman can be a challenge, but it’s a role Morrow has gotten more comfortable in over the years. The Jets face the Senators to open the tournament on Sept. 6, face the Canadiens on the eighth and then close out the tournament with a “Adversity is just something that comes with the sport, and to be able to second match-up with the Senators on the ninth. bounce back from whatever is thrown at you is kind of what you get taught through experience and being in the league for a while,” said Thirteen of the 22 players on the Jets current roster suited up in the Morrow. “It’s just another character trait you can have on your shoulder YoungStars Classic, so this is an opportunity for the top prospects to face and use to your advantage.” their peers from two different organizations. With the anniversary of the trade coming up quickly, Morrow was asked if Winnipeg Sun LOADED 02.14.2019 he spent much time reflecting on how quickly things changed for him. At this time last year, he was a frequent healthy scratch on a team near the bottom of the standings and now, he’s playing on a Stanley Cup contender and gearing up for a second straight playoff run. “I guess if you think about it now, I should have my bags packed and waiting by the door just in case,” said Morrow, who was also involved in a deadline deal between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars in 2013. “If you want to go back to the dates when the trade deadline was approaching, I treated it the exact same way every time and I was always surprised every time, regardless of what happened. But it’s an exciting time of the year: people adding big pieces, people trading away big pieces of puzzles. It reminds you it’s a business, it’s nothing personal and it’s how the game goes.” WHAT ABOUT 50? With 25 games left in the regular season, Jets centre Scheifele hit the 30- goal mark for the second time in his career and the discussion quickly turned to whether he could one day challenge for 50 goals. Scheifele didn’t really want to go down that road, but Maurice definitely believes that it’s a possibility. “He can,” Maurice said definitively. Earlier in his question-and-answer period, Maurice provided a lengthy rundown of Scheifele’s skillset. “He’s got an unusual mix of things that he can do,” said Maurice. “He’s way faster than he looks, and I’m not saying he looks slow. He has a very efficient stride. Those two guys on the wings (captain Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor) he’s playing with are just lightning fast, except he doesn’t seem to have a problem keeping up with them. So, what Mark has figured out is the centreman has to slow his game down. “In our game and most games in the NHL, the centreman has to be very patient on when to change gears and when not to, and he’s gotten very, very good at that. So, we can play him against the other teams’ best now. (With) young centres, you’re hiding them a little bit, you don’t want them against the other teams’ best, but he’s got himself to an understanding of the game that we can play him against the other teams best and he can 1130745 Winnipeg Jets

EHLERS DELAYED: Jets forward now 1-3 weeks from return

Ken Wiebe

Paul Maurice went out of his way to say it wasn’t a setback. And technically, the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets is correct. Nothing related to his injury has happened to Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers since leaving the lineup after a collision with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, but the end result of a routine doctor’s appointment is that his return will be delayed. “He didn’t have a setback but he just had an appointment (Tuesday), and we’re looking at another week or two, at least,” said Maurice. “He was getting close to the end of the window, wasn’t feeling a whole lot better and then we had it checked again. So, it’s going to be longer than we thought.” Just a day earlier, Maurice had expressed some hope that Ehlers might be able to return to practice with his teammates this week and then return to game action as early as next week’s three-game road trip. This is precisely the reason Maurice is hesitant to provide potential timelines for injuries. “The window would be one to three weeks… before he can play,” said Maurice, when asked for the latest potential window for Ehlers to return. Despite missing 17 games with the unspecified injury – which is likely a problem with his wrist or shoulder – Ehlers is still eighth in team scoring, with 15 goals and 27 points in 40 games. Following an 0-2-1 stretch, the Jets have won consecutive games and are currently the top team in the Western Conference (with 75 points) and sit second overall in the NHL behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Jets continue a three-game homestand on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. After a strong start to the campaign, the Avalanche are reeling, losers of eight consecutive games (0-5-3) as they’ve fallen below the playoff line in the Western Conference standings. Speaking of injuries, Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to miss a fourth consecutive game. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 02.14.2019 1130746 Winnipeg Jets Kujanpaa got the job following a September 2017 group interview based on his history of community involvement and a year and a half doing similar work for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

How NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone month connects two worlds and “Everyone put their resumes on a table,” Kujanpaa explains. “Of course, realities for one Winnipeg Jets staffer my resume was the first one pulled – they’re like, ‘Is there a Dale … I’m not going to try your last name.” I’m like ‘Oh, it’s me! There’s nobody else.’ I had an interview with them – a formal but informal, ‘Give us your By Murat Ates Feb 13, 2019 best 15 minutes’ kind of thing. Did that and ran out the door. Got a call that night asking me to show up for Fan Fest the next morning … It

happened very quick.” There is an eastbound section of the TransCanada Highway on the While Moose wrangling, a particularly difficult day for Kujanpaa might Winnipeg side of Portage la Prairie where the speed limit opens up to involve going into a suite at a Jets game, talking to 20 or so business 110 kilometres per hour. It wasn’t always this way – any longtime people about an initiative like Hockey Fights Cancer and convincing them Manitoban will tell you this – but ever since paved shoulders, rumble to purchase raffle tickets. For a self-described “extroverted introvert,” the strips and a host of other roadside improvements led to an increased opportunity to engage with large groups of new people at once in a lively speed limit in June 2016, traffic on the No. 1 highway has moved just a atmosphere is a meaningful challenge. He doesn’t take that for granted. little bit faster than it used to. In youth care, however, a difficult day is a touch more stressful. For Dale Kujanpaa (Koo-Yan-Paa), a youth care worker under the umbrella of the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, that section of prairie Consider the position description. At Compass, Kujanpaa works directly road represents restoration. with youth who have issues involving anger management, poor coping or problem-solving skills, and histories of aggression, violence, trauma As Kujanpaa leaves work in Southport and merges onto the and/or abuse. These young lives are often lived at the margins, without TransCanada east of Portage, he steps on the throttle in his 2010 Toyota community supports or resources. Kujanpaa says the likelihood of a Corolla and turns up the volume on his stereo. youth in his care having the means to attend a Winnipeg Jets or even a If it’s been a smooth day at the Compass Residential Youth Program, Manitoba Moose hockey game is exceedingly low. where Kujanpaa works to help teenagers gain freedom from dependency Duties include everything from admitting youth into the program – on drugs and alcohol, he’ll crank a British playlist – Oasis, The Strokes, participation at Compass, he stresses, is voluntary – to administering The Kinks – that reminds him of his time abroad when as a teen he first basic medication, sorting out interpersonal conflicts and crises, started working with young people. performing first aid and providing care in case of emergency. There will Back when he was a recent graduate of the Health Studies program at be as many as 14 youths aged 13-17 at Compass at any one time, each the University of Manitoba, Kujanpaa took his degree and a sense of with his or her own experiences, needs and relationships with drugs and exploration to youth camps in England and au pair jobs throughout alcohol. Europe that funded a full year of travels. It was eye-opening for Kujanpaa Participation at Compass takes a great deal of commitment. The full – not only did it reinforce his interest in working with young people, it also program is eight weeks long and for clients to commit to it, they have to introduced him to the songs that he currently belts out on his way home leave huge portions of their lives behind. to Winnipeg four times per week. “We ask them to drop everything,” Kujanpaa said. “It’s a smoke-free If it’s been a particularly stressful day at Compass, his highway playlist facility. They aren’t allowed to have technology. They’re told not to bring turns toward harder rock. their cell phones. If they do, we have to put them in their contraband bins “That one has a lot of Glorious Sons,” Kujanpaa shares. “I’ve really been during their stay.” digging them. Who else? KALEO. Have you heard of them? I’ve got a list Clients in the program practice abstinence from using while developing for you.” tools to change their alcohol and drug use. It’s unsurprising, given his primary line of work, that it’s in Kujanpaa’s Education is provided, both in the form of supplementary schoolwork so natural disposition to be helpful. He presents as gentle, upbeat and clients don’t fall too far behind at school and also in the form of healthy sincerely enthusiastic. When I ask questions about working at Compass lifestyle programming – safe leisure activities, sexually transmitted which betray my ignorance in the field, he shows patience instead of infection education, doctors and psychological services are all provided frustration. Kujanpaa educates with an enthusiasm that suggests a man on site. well-suited to his full-time job. The overall goal depends on the client. These same traits serve Kujanpaa well at his second, more traditionally “fun” job – the one at Bell MTS Place. “Success is a hard one to measure in this field,” Kujanpaa said. “Everyone’s ‘success’ is different. It varies from individual to individual.” Asked to describe his job for True North’s Community Relations team, Kujanpaa doesn’t hesitate. “For example, sometimes a client will come in who binge drinks, smokes pot daily and then does meth or cocaine binges once a month. “I’m a Moose wrangler,” he tells me. Sometimes, from our standpoint, if they can rule out binging on meth or Put another way, if Mick E. Moose, the official Winnipeg Jets and cocaine once a month, that’s still a victory for us. So they’re still drinking Manitoba Moose mascot, is in the crowd at a hockey game or in the and using pot but they’ve completely eliminated one thing and can community at a public event, Kujanpaa is typically not far behind him. remain not using that. That’s a very small measure of success but, big picture, long term, it still is a success. And then, if they want, they can “It’s mostly a lot of parades,” Kujanpaa says. “We did the Pride parade so revisit their usage of drinking or pot – whatever they see as necessary I got to be a part of that. Then we do the Santa Claus parade, there’s the after that. It’s very individualized.” MS Walk, the Kids Help Phone Walk – all of these events where Mick E. Moose is a presence. We go with him as the Moose handler.” The variety of individuals that Kujanpaa sees – and the variety of outcomes – is a major reason for his variety of highway playlists. Each At those events, Kujanpaa will alternate between fan interaction and one is designed as something of a warm-up or cool-down to a job that taking photos, submitting them to the organization’s social media requires all of his mental energy. accounts. The overarching goal is to connect members of the Manitoban community to the Jets organization, whether or not they have an “My rock one for just turning up loud on the way home to not think about opportunity to attend games. anything,” he says.

At Bell MTS Place, Moose handling can involve selling raffle tickets for Does he sing? Hockey Fights Cancer in October, fundraising for Autism Awareness “Yes, of course. It’s probably good that I don’t carpool with anyone. I Month in March, or interacting with Jets season ticket holders at Fan Fest don’t have to put them through that.” to kick off the NHL season. Dale Kujanpaa’s story is intertwined with the Winnipeg Jets in a few A lot of the time, they’re craving or wanting to go home and all that kind obvious, overt ways. of stuff.”

Clearly, his job with the organization’s community relations team is one “But then, sometimes, on the client’s last night, I’ll be working the night example. He’s also a big enough fan of the team to follow them to shift but I’m not going home until 7 in the morning … And they’ll wake up Minnesota and Chicago this fall during limited time off between two jobs. at 6:45 – they’ll set an alarm – just to say goodbye. That hits home for me. That’s a good feeling.” Another clear tie-in is the hockey community’s vocal support for mental health initiatives, particularly on Bell Let’s Talk day. The NHL runs Working for the Winnipeg Jets, in addition to aligning with his personal inclusive February programming under the banner, “Hockey is for values with respect to cancer research and autism awareness, has Everyone.” And many Jets fans will also be aware of Project 11 – a True robbed Kujanpaa of sleep, too. North Youth Foundation program that teaches mental wellness in schools across Manitoba in honour of the late Rick Rypien. “We did a movement event at the U of M,” Kujanpaa said. “It was about making movement inclusive for everyone. There were kids and young That said, I drew the connection between Kujanpaa and this story adults with walkers or in a wheelchair or on a scooter or whatever it may courtesy of Paul Maurice, speaking with Jim Rome: be. And they just had a dance party. It was so much fun. To see that excitement and to see that movement and how they can make that “I worked in pro sports my whole life,” Maurice told Rome during the All- happen … That kept me up for a good reason. That was really Star break, “And the best thing I can say is when I die and I gotta meet rewarding.” St. Pete at the gates, he’s not going to be saying ‘Go on in, you coached in the NHL.’ There’s got to be more to your life. There’s got to be a bit of The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 a social contract. There’s got to be something that you give back to people.”

For Maurice, the idea of “giving back” is tied partly to working for an organization that is simply so well established in Winnipeg and in Manitoba that its impact can’t help but run deep.

Kujanpaa’s perspective isn’t entirely too different from that.

When he and Mick E. Moose are running through Bell MTS Place to fundraise for Hockey Finds Cancer or Autism Awareness Month, Kujanpaa feels fortunate that both of his workplaces embody his values. In university, he did a practicum working with kids who have autism at the St. Amant Centre. When he was just 16, Kujanpaa’s 17-year-old cousin died of leukemia.

“Same family, same school, same sports teams our whole lives,” Kujanpaa said of his cousin. “So both Hockey Fights Cancer and Autism Awareness Month stand close to my personal beliefs … And hit home for me.

“That makes it nice being part of the Winnipeg Jets organization who is fundraising for that and who is kind of the face for that kind of stuff.”

The idea that every human being may be fighting their own personal battle is one Kujanpaa knows well. He sees it every day at Compass – a job he sometimes loses sleep over.

Some of the youth in Kujanpaa’s care have never been to a movie theatre, let alone a professional hockey game. For those youth, healthy sports programming wasn’t an option. Growing up addicted to drugs or alcohol, Kujanpaa says, is often a product of difficult circumstances.

“Sometimes they’ll share a story about their past and I’ll think about it on the way home and not even be able to relate to it, not having experienced it before. ‘How can that be real? How can that kind of stuff actually happen?’ And very much realizing how fortunate I am to have had the childhood that I’ve had.”

For contrast, Kujanpaa relates a story where he, Mick E. Moose and an assortment of Manitoba Moose players were at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Families had come in from across Winnipeg, excited by the opportunity to meet professional hockey players.

“We had some (players) near the polar bears, some near the reptiles, we had some all over the place. The kids had to get their passports stamped to be entered into a draw so they had to get Moose players’ autographs from different sections of the zoo. That was a fun event where you got to hang out with some Moose players and there were kids and excited fans everywhere.”

That many of the families who frequent hockey events include kids that are the same age that Kujanpaa witness struggling with addictions at Compass is not lost on him. Still, the differences between each job aren’t 100 percent black and white. As easy as it is to suggest that True North community events are the lighthearted time Kujanpaa needs to recharge for his job at Compass, both come with their meaningful moments.

“Working (at Compass) you don’t get that instant satisfaction – of ‘Oh I have completed this job’. Painting, you paint a fence, you can see what you’ve done – you can measure that success. You can’t always see day to day successes, working there. Sometimes, you don’t always see them. 1130747 Vancouver Canucks “If you didn’t watch what pucks went into the net you’d be really happy with our game.”

Roster shuffle Ducks 1 Canucks 0: Goals go missing as power play can’t cash in Gaudette, meanwhile, was back in the lineup for the first time in a month and the second time since Dec. 27, replacing an injured Brandon Sutter. Sutter suffered a groin injury in Saturday’s win over Calgary and Travis Ed Willes Green said he might be out for “a while.”

The Canucks head coach also said Sutter was sent for an MRI in ANAHEIM — After an interesting couple of days, Jacob Markstrom was Vancouver on Tuesday. back in the net, Adam Gaudette was back from Utica but the goals were As for Gaudette, the 22-year-old centre had three goals and four assists still missing. Aside from dropping the Canucks two points back in the, in 10 games in his most recent stint with the Comets. He also played one ahem, race for the wild card spot in the West, here’s what we learned game with the Canucks on Jan. 10, scoring a goal in an overtime loss to from Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss in Anaheim: Arizona. Markstrom’s back Against the Ducks, Gaudette played on a line with Zack MacEwen and Against the Ducks, Markstrom returned to the net after sparking a mini- Markus Granlund but wasn’t exacty over-worked, playing just over nine crisis when he sat out Monday’s game in Vancouver against San Jose. minutes. The Canucks’ starter looked fine. The larger problem was at the other “I like it when Adam’s in the lineup,” Green said. “He brings us speed. end of the ice where his teammates, as is their wont, made rookie goalie He’s tenacious. He wants to be hard on the puck. Kevin Boyle look like Terry Sawchuk. “He’s played in big games (during his college career at Northeastern) Boyle, in his first NHL start, stopped all 34 shots he faced and, for the before so he knows the intensity level of hockey at this time of the year.” most part, didn’t looked stressed doing it. His best save came off Brock Boeser during a Canucks’ flurry late in the second period and Elias MacEwen back in Pettersson rang one off the post on a first-period power play. When Boyle stopped Josh Leivo on a third-period power play, the crowd at the Elsewhere with the Canucks, MacEwen played his second straight game Honda Centre started chanting, “Boy-le, Boy-le.’ since his call-up from Utica while Nikolay Goldobin was scratched. Maybe you had to be there. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 02.14.2019 “You have to give him credit,” said Bo Horvat. “He played a heckuva game tonight. Maybe we could have got more bodies in front of him. I think he was seeing a lot of the shots. We had to find a way to get one past him and we didn’t.” The Canucks also went 0-for-5 on the power play and squandered two man-advantage opportunities in the third with the game on the line. Markstrom, for his part, was beaten six minutes in by Jakob Silfverberg from the slot but handled everything else thrown his way. By everything we mean 22 shots. “I felt good today,” Markstrom said. “I haven’t played in four days but those four days were huge for me to get back into game shape. “We talked and it was either that game (Monday against San Jose) or back-to-back here and if I sit out the game against San Jose I get four days to get back to where I want to be. That’s the decision we made.” It’s been reported Markstrom was suffering from back stiffness following last Saturday’s win over Calgary. He was asked how his back felt after the game on Wednesday night. “My back, who made that up?” he said. “It was lower-body tightness I heard. No back. I think that was just a guessing game.” Newcomer Marek Mazanec dressed as Markstrom’s backup. There was no word on who’ll get the start in Los Angeles on Thursday night. “The game just ended here,” Markstrom said. “We’ll try to figure everything out tomorrow.” Motivated Ducks Wednesday night also marked Bob Murray’s coaching debut with the Ducks and his team was not unmotivated. Ryan Kesler fought Leivo in the early going, a scrum erupted behind the Canucks’ net when Devin Shore tripped Erik Gudbranson into the boards later in the first and, with two minutes left in the period, Ryan Getzlaf was given an interference minor when he collided with Jake Virtanen in the neutral zone after Virtanen had flattened Corey Perry in the Canucks’ zone. The Canucks winger missed a handful of shifts before returning midway through the second. Gudbranson then stepped up and fought Getzlaf early in the second period which calmed things down for the rest of the game. “I thought we had a lot of pushback tonight,” said head coach Travis Green. “We talked about being a harder team to play against and we were.” Green was asked to assess his team’s performance in a crucial game. “We played a good road game,” he said. “We’ve just got to find a way to score goals. I thought we played hard. I thought we controlled the game. We out-chanced them 15-10. We probably win that game eight times out of 10.” 1130748 Vancouver Canucks stretch the Canucks now face in California. If he can survive that, Green is hopeful Demko will be available for the Feb. 21 home game against Arizona. Ed Willes: Canucks hopeful their backup plan works if Markstrom’s back If he’s not, there’s now Mazanec to consider. doesn’t “I like goalies when they stop the puck and I’m not thrilled with the ones who don’t,” Green said. “I hope he’s one of the ones we like.” Ed Willes Vancouver Province: LOADED: 02.14.2019

ANAHEIM, Calif. — In a little over a week, the Vancouver Canucks’ goaltending situation descended from a relatively happy place to a mini- crisis that threatens the team’s quest for the NHL playoffs. Given that state of affairs, it’s quite likely Marek Mazanec isn’t the answer to GM Jim Benning’s prayers. But whatever else he is, the 27-year-old Czech arrives in Vancouver as a cheap insurance policy for Jacob Markstrom and a more plausible netminding option than Mikey DiPietro. In a perfect world, Mazanec will wear a ball cap for the next stretch of games and cheer on Markstrom while Thatcher Demko recovers from a sprained knee. If he needs to be anything more than that, the Canucks better hope they guessed right on the journeyman. “There was always clarity in my mind,” head coach Travis Green said before the Canucks met the Ducks Wednesday night with Markstrom starting in goal. “Last game we didn’t have a choice but to play Mike. I never anticipated playing Mike. Marky couldn’t play (with a reported back issue). Plain and simple. “When I said (Markstrom) was available, if there was a Game 7 he could have played. I don’t know if he would have finished the game but we would have put him in. We couldn’t put him in (Monday) and risk losing him for three weeks.” Green was asked if he’s concerned about Markstrom’s long-term health. “There’s always concern whenever you have a goalie who missed a game,” he said. “(Markstrom) had a good skate today (during morning practice). We talked to him about how it (back) felt and he’s ready to go.” Now, if only things stay that way. Mazanec, acquired Tuesday from the New York Rangers, joined the Canucks in Anaheim Wednesday morning and dressed as Markstrom’s backup following a workout with goalie coach Ian Clark. A sixth-round pick by Nashville in 2012, the 6-4, 202-pound goalkeeper has played 31 career NHL games, all with the Predators and none since 2016-17. In 20 games with the AHL this season, he recorded a .905 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average. Of the new goalie, Green said: “If he has to play, he’ll play.” That decision could come as early as Thursday when the Canucks meet the Kings in Los Angeles in the second game of a back-to-back. DiPietro, meanwhile, will likely head back to his regular gig with the OHL’s Ottawa 67s after he was rushed into the net Monday against the San Jose Sharks when Markstrom’s back stiffened. In his first NHL start, the 19-year-old DiPietro surrendered a goal on the first shot he faced, three on the first five and generally looked overmatched in the Sharks’ 7-2 drubbing of the Canucks. Still, DiPietro termed that start “a dream come true” on four different occasions in his post-game scrum. That just means he doesn’t discourage easily. “I want to focus on the little things I did right,” DiPietro said. “I thought my third period was stronger than the first two. The familiarity and feeling more comfortable as the game went on, that’s a positive too. “When you focus on the negatives, you can feel like an ant in the net. You can’t change what happened in the past.” Even if most of the Canucks wish they could. “You feel bad for him,” said Troy Stecher. “But you can’t feel bad for anyone in this league or else you’ll get embarrassed again, and we were embarrassing. “I played my first game at 22 and nearly s—t my pants. I can only imagine what it was like for a goalie.” That leaves, for a moment, the lingering question about Markstrom’s health, which will be addressed during the three-games-in-four-nights 1130749 Vancouver Canucks Nikolay Goldobin — Markus Granlund — Zack MacEwen Defence pairings Canucks Game Day: Duck hunting for a must-win Chris Tanev — Erik Gudbranson Ben Hutton — Troy Stecher Patrick Johnston Derrick Pouliot — Alex Biega Goalies: Jacob Markstrom, Michael DiPietro The Canucks play the first of back-to-back nights Wednesday in SICK BAY Anaheim. California dreaming may be picking up victories there and in L.A. on Thursday, but they're vital to any post-season hopes. Sven Baertschi (post-concussion syndrome), Thatcher Demko (knee), Alex Edler (concussion), Brandon Sutter (groin) NEXT GAME: WEDNESDAY DUCKS’ LINES Vancouver Canucks (25-25-7) at Anaheim Ducks (21-26-9) LW – C – RW 7:30 p.m., Honda Center. TV: Sportsnet, Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM Rickard Rakell — Ryan Getzlaf — Corey Perry THE BIG MATCHUP Devin Shore — Ryan Kesler — Jakob Silfverberg Bob Murray vs. reality Nick Ritchie — Adam Henrique — Daniel Sprong The Ducks’ boss finally fired Randy Carlyle on Sunday, following a disastrous run that saw his team fall to the bottom of the NHL’s Western Brian Gibbons — Derek Grant — Carter Rowney Conference standings. Defence pairings Bob Murray will soon realize up close that his team can’t score. They’re Cam Fowler — Josh Manson battling goalie injuries. They were riddled with injuries to their defence corps earlier this year. Hampus Lindholm — Brandon Montour FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Jaycob Megna — Michael Del Zotto 1. Who’s in goal? Goalies: Chad Johnson, Kevin Boyle Jacob Markstrom was held out of Monday night’s game because of a SICK BAY minor injury, one that coach Travis Green was worried about aggravating. So does that mean he’s healthy again to play in Anaheim? Ondrej Kase (shoulder), Ryan Miller (knee), John Gibson (upper body), Or will the team have to call again on Mike DiPietro, the 19-year-old Patrick Eaves (flu). prospect who did his best but was overmatched by the San Jose Sharks SPECIAL TEAMS on Monday? Power play Or could newly acquired Marek Mazanec make a start? Canucks: 16.1% (26th); Ducks: 14.9% (29th) 2. Defence Penalty kill The Canucks’ defence was a worry coming into the season. No new faces on the blue line for a group that struggled to control its own end or Canucks: 79.8% (18th); Ducks: 19.7% (20th) contribute offensively. Until recently, the Canucks had been much improved in this area. But over the past four weeks or so, that storyline Vancouver Province: LOADED: 02.14.2019 has gone south. On Saturday, it was simply a case of too many shots against. Come Monday, it was a case of too many quality shots against a young goaltender. Lots to fix. 3. Horvat’s scoring The Canucks’ spirit leader now has 20 goals after scoring against the Sharks on Monday. He’s been doing everything he can this season to propel the Canucks closer to their dream of: 1) making the playoffs; and 2) evolving into a contender. That he’s scoring again is a great sign for a team that still harbours (faint) playoff hopes. Horvat has goals in two straight games and three in eight games. Erik Gudbranson celebrates with Bo Horvat, right, after Horvat scored on the Calgary Flames in the first period at Rogers Arena Saturday night. Gerry Kahrmann / PNG 4. Playoff hopes Following Monday’s ugly loss, HockeyViz.com projects the Canucks as having a 1-in-7 chance of making the postseason. To say Wednesday’s game in Anaheim and Thursday’s in Los Angeles are must-win isn’t overstating the facts. 5. Kesler’s woes The broken down ex-Canuck keeps playing, but he hasn’t scored since Nov. 6. He has just four goals on the season. Kesler still has three years left after this season on his contract, which carries a cap hit of $6,875,000 per season. CANUCKS’ LINES LW – C – RW Josh Leivo — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser Antoine Roussel — Bo Horvat — Jake Virtanen Loui Eriksson — Jay Beagle — Tyler Motte 1130750 Websites Finnish parliament is no stranger to prominent athletes — including former KHL goaltender Sinuhe Wallinheimo and multiple Olympians, although the legislative body currently boasts no former NHLers. The Athletic / From pucks to politics: Ex-NHLer Sean Bergenheim Bergenheim acknowledges that perhaps his hockey-playing career may running for Finnish Parliament add some cache to his candidacy (his wife, Vilma, has significant name recognition of her own; she’s a reality television contestant) but doesn’t want to rely on that as a one-dimensional component of his candidacy. By Katie Strang Feb 13, 2019 “I feel it might help but I also feel I have to work so that people don’t only see me as an athlete but also as a politician — that I can get things done,” Bergenheim said. “I don’t count on getting votes just because I played .” Sean Bergenheim didn’t take much of an interest in politics when he was in school back in Finland. In fact, it wasn’t really until he was living That said, he admitted that there are certain values and skills he honed overseas, playing in the NHL that he became more engaged, not just in and cultivated throughout his playing career that he hopes provide an his own country’s politics but in the international landscape as well. advantage for his political aspirations. His curiosity coincided with his burgeoning NHL career, piqued by his Finland, though not as bifurcated as, say, the United States, still has its travel throughout the U.S. and Canada. On these frequent road trips, own tensions among parties. Bergenheim hopes that his experience in Bergenheim would often find himself snatching up the national the NHL shows a sense of collaboration and willingness to work together newspapers under his hotel door and, over breakfast, it was usually the on important issues facing his country. political or financial sections of the paper that stoked his interest. “Teamwork is the first thing that comes to mind. you have to work on a Bergenheim, a first-round draft choice of the Islanders (22nd overall, team to get things done,” Bergenheim said. “To be a professional athlete, 2002), went on to play 506 games in the NHL, putting together a solid you have to work hard and you have to never really give up. You know if career that included stops with the Islanders, Lightning, Panthers and you are going to get something done you really have to work for it. Wild. But as his career began to wind down, earlier than he would have anticipated (his last season was in 2014-15), he started to ponder what “I think it’s the same thing in politics. If you want to get something done, was next. And what began as a way to pass the time over his morning it’s not going to come easy.” coffee took hold as a viable post-playing career path. The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 After spending the past season working in broadcasting, Bergenheim decided to give it a go. The 35-year-old, who hails from Helsinki (and has spent most of his life in the Espoo area), recently announced his first true foray into Finnish politics, where he will be running for a seat in the Parliament elections this April. Unlike the two-party system in the United States, Finland is a multi-party system that has traditionally been made up of coalitions — two big parties and a collection of smaller parties. Bergenheim, who will be vying for a seat in the Uusimaa election district (one of 13 in total), is running under the Swedish People’s Party, or SFP, a smaller but well-funded party that was originally formed with the intention of protecting the rights of the Swedish language-speaking minority in Finland. Bergenheim said it was the party’s commitment to education, the environment and healthcare issues that attracted him to the SFP, the former being his chief platform. “We’ve had huge cuts in our education in Finland, which is what we’re known for — having the best education in the world,” Bergenheim said. “They’ve cut so much. My party feels this has to stop. That’s one issue that I feel (made) this party right for me.” Bergenheim will spend the next two months campaigning in his district, an area of southern Finland that is a largely suburban populous of Helsinki (The Uusimaa district currently has 36 of 200 seats in Parliament). The system in Finland dictates that the electorate votes for candidates, and the amount of seats the party is allocated is determined by how many votes the entire party gets. The SFP, currently part of the minority opposition, occupies 10 seats in Parliament. So yes, Bergenheim will be doing the customary shaking hands and kissing babies for the next eight weeks leading up to the election. He has a small staff and a group of supporters that are getting the word out. He is also hoping to rely on social media as a primary tool for communication with his potential constituents. He wants to create a dialogue with voters and provide a forum so that even those he can’t visit and speak with in person have a direct line of communication with him to ask him questions or probe him on the issues central to his campaign. Education will remain his top priority, Bergenheim said, and the party is aiming to reverse the cuts that have been made to many programs and instead infuse them with more opportunities. After-school programs are one area he’d like to see a more diverse array of options — with more sports and activities offered to kids, for example. Bergenheim was the beneficiary of a strong educational background, which enabled him to go on to a lucrative career in hockey in North America. “It was big for me. My mom wouldn’t let me play hockey if I couldn’t go to school and have really good results in school. I’m really thankful for that,” Bergenheim said. “I value it. I think it’s really important for kids. I think that a good education is the key to a successful nation.” 1130751 Websites Like Montreal, it seems weird to list the Maple Leafs this low on any sort of pressure index. And it’s true that another first-round loss, especially to the Bruins, would be viewed as a disaster in Toronto. The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Which NHL teams are under the most But Kyle Dubas has already made his big move, landing Jake Muzzin pressure at the trade deadline? earlier this month. With his team all but capped out, reasonable Maple Leafs fans understand that there isn’t likely to be much more the team can do. As for the other 95 percent of the fan base, they’ll eventually By Sean McIndoe Feb 13, 2019 figure it out too. 24. Minnesota Wild With two weeks to go until the trade deadline, we’re well into that Does the Mikko Koivu injury make Paul Fenton’s job harder or easier? fascinating time of the year when wins and losses take a back seat to the It’s a huge hit to their playoff hopes. But they were already on shaky rumor mill. Did your favorite team play last night? You’re not sure, but ground, and now Fenton could shift into a soft-sell mode without anyone you heard a rumor about them trading a conditional sixth-round pick, so really blaming him. I’ll slot them here for now because they feel like one let’s argue about that for a few hours. Honestly, it’s a pretty great time to of those stuck-in-the-middle teams, but an especially good or bad week be a fan. could move them up this list significantly. So today, let’s skip the standings and focus on a far more important 23. Tampa Bay Lightning ranking: Which teams are under the most pressure to make a deal or two (or three, or four) over the next 12 days? Who can afford to stay quiet if They’ve all but clinched the Atlantic, and they’re not far from saying the they have to and who absolutely has to do something big? same about the Presidents’ Trophy. So in one sense, rookie GM Julien BriseBois is already in great shape, and his team will be the Stanley Cup These aren’t necessarily the teams that will be the busiest; instead, favorites even if he doesn’t do a thing. consider it a ranking of the ones that have the toughest jobs ahead of them. We’ll go through the whole league, working our way up from the Then again, maybe that’s all the more reason to strike while the iron is least to the most pressure. That’s always fun, because there are 31 spots hot. After all, recent NHL history is littered with contenders who played it to fill and every fan base adamantly believes that their team has to at safe at the deadline and came to regret it. That’s life for GMs at this time least be in the top 10. of year. You’re already the best? Good, now get better. We’ll start with a team that’s had a recent habit of showing up in BriseBois won’t get ripped for a quiet deadline in the days after. But in unexpected places on lists and power rankings and the standings. June, if the Lightning aren’t holding a parade? He’d rather not find out. 31. New York Islanders 22. Arizona Coyotes The Islanders are a good example of the difference between wanting to They seemed like they were headed for a playoff spot – remember how make a deadline deal and needing to make one. They’re a good team the Rick Tocchet-for-Jack Adams bandwagon was just starting to fire up? with a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup and they’ll probably be looking – but then stumbled and lost ground. Just being in the race might have to bring in reinforcements. They might even try to pull off something big, value for a young team, so you figure they can’t sell. But maybe they’re and if they do, their fans will be thrilled. falling too far back to buy. But what if they don’t? The Islanders are already the season’s best story. So what does John Chayka do? I really liked his comments to Pierre Lou Lamoriello, Barry Trotz and friends have pulled off a near-miracle. If LeBrun – he’s sticking to the long-term plan, but that plan includes his they can dominate the deadline too, awesome. But even if they sit it out young guys playing in some meaningful games. That sounds like a GM completely, they’ve already won. And even the most fickle Islanders fans who isn’t going to sell, but won’t overpay to buy. They could be quiet. couldn’t possibly have a word of complaint … could they? 21. New Jersey Devils 30. Washington Capitals 20. New York Rangers You know that old saying about how when your team wins a 19. Los Angeles Kings championship, you’re not allowed to complain about anything for years afterwards? No fan actually believes that, and if the Capitals implode and My guess is that Rangers fans may have been expecting to see them miss the playoffs, Brian MacLellan will be ripped for it. But that seems higher on the list. But New York is another example of the difference exceedingly unlikely, and without any major holes to address or much between a busy deadline and a high-pressure one. Jeff Gorton has cap room to do it with, expectations should be reasonable. Pierre LeBrun plenty of items on his to-do list. But for the most part, they’re the sort of says they’ll be “careful buyers” and are “willing to tinker”, which sounds standard-issue deadline rentals that shouldn’t feel too overwhelming. about right. But whatever happens, they’ve already got their rings. The Devils are in a similar boat, although with fewer obvious rentals now 29. Montreal Canadiens that Brian Boyle has already been moved. And while the Kings have the biggest job ahead of them of the three teams, they’ve also already got 28. Chicago Blackhawks one big deal out of the way. As long as Rob Blake doesn’t look at the 27. Vancouver Canucks standings and start thinking he’s in a playoff race, the Kings seem like they know what they need to do. 26. Philadelphia Flyers So three teams, all with a similar mantra over the next few days: Shed Let’s call this the “playing with house money” section. All four teams are some salary, land some picks and prospects and keep the rebuild either making playoff runs we didn’t think they’d be anywhere close to, or moving forward. It’s not an easy job by any stretch, but it’s relatively at least looking far better than they did earlier in the season. straightforward. It feels weird to have Montreal this low, because it’s Montreal. But they’ve 18. St. Louis Blues already exceeded expectations, and we’ve gone from Marc Bergevin being on the hottest seat imaginable to the local media insisting he was Honestly, I have no idea what to do with the Blues in this ranking. On the right all along. Plus, the Habs’ playoff spot seems relatively secure. one hand, it was only a few months ago that Doug Armstrong sounded Bergevin has already made some depth moves to bring in those heavy like he was ready to trade anyone and everyone. On the other hand, depth guys he loves so much, but the Habs have been largely absent they’ve been hot lately, and this might be the time to stand pat rather from the rumor mill on the bigger names. than disrupt a winning lineup. Then again, Armstrong has traded away big names in each of the last two seasons even as the Blues were The Canucks, Hawks and Flyers are all in tougher spots in terms of the chasing a playoff spot. The Blues are another team that could seem way playoff picture, and may be tempted to bring in rental help. But with all too low even a few days from now three teams in various stages of rebuilds, it’s unlikely that any feel pressured to make major moves. The Flyers take the top spot in the 17. Dallas Stars group based on having one star UFA in Wayne Simmonds that they’ll They’re in good shape in the Western Conference race. But good shape need to find a home for, but otherwise at least a few Philadelphia fans might not be good enough; if you recall, the bosses seem a little sensitive are probably too enamored with Carter Hart right now to get mad about a about their recent playoff drought. quiet deadline. Jim Nill says he wants more scoring, and there are big names who could 25. Toronto Maple Leafs fit. But they won’t come cheap. So maybe the big question is, how close does Nill really think his team is? Or maybe it’s more like: How hot does clear-eyed call on which way to go, and do what needs to be done. Bad he think his seat gets if he stays quiet and it backfires? ones get caught in the headlights. 16. Anaheim Ducks 5. Florida Panthers Blow it up. Blow it up real good. Blow it all sky high, then salt the earth so They’re one of the teams that seems poised to make the biggest that nothing will ever grow there again. headlines over the next few days. With virtually no chance at a playoff spot, they desperately need a new direction, and there are plenty of The good news for Bob Murray is that the task here is obvious. The bad rumors of a major blockbuster or two coming. The only reason I don’t news is that there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to do it, at least right have them even higher on the list is that they might wait until the now. The heavy lifting will probably have to wait for the offseason. But in offseason to make their biggest moves. But even then, they’ll need to the meantime, there’s a tank battle to win, and that’s going to mean clear the decks now to make room. finding a way to move out anyone he can still find a home for. 4. Edmonton Oilers 15. Pittsburgh Penguins The Oilers are in a weird spot. There’s a good case to be made that they The Penguins have already made some big moves and don’t appear to shouldn’t do much of anything. Just keep the lights on, finish out the have a ton of options for high-impact trades beyond moving yet another season and then hand the keys over to a new GM in the spring. In first-round pick. Still, Jim Rutherford isn’t really going to let this group theory, that should be a pressure-free scenario. But nothing in Edmonton miss the playoffs, is he? feels pressure-free right now. Instead, it feels like this whole thing is 14. Vegas Golden Knights ready to implode. 13. Calgary Flames Upper management has been clear all season long that it’s playoffs or bust. And as much of a mess as this year has been, a wild-card spot 12. San Jose Sharks seemed to be right there for the taking up until a week ago. Is it still there? Would making the playoffs make anything better? Should that For now, all three Pacific contenders fit the classic buyer’s role, and all even be the focus at all? And if not, what now? three might be waiting to see what the others do before they make their moves. That could lead to some high-stakes poker right up until the final And one more question: Just how aggressive is interim GM Keith Gretzky days before the deadline. It could also lead to all three largely standing even going to be allowed to get? These days, we’re never quite sure pat. who’s making the final calls in Edmonton. But we do know that whatever they do – big, little or somewhere in between – a lot of their fan base is Of the trio, the Knights have the most to work with in terms of cap space going to furious about it. That’s what happens when you burn through all and future assets. But they’re also close to being locked into third place your credibility and benefit of the doubt. in the division, so the sense of urgency that would come with a run at the top seed isn’t there. Meanwhile, the Sharks have the tightest fit, but also 3. Buffalo Sabres the shortest window. As for the Flames, well, there is a guy out there who seems like a perfect fit… The feel-good story of the season’s first two months are watching their season derail while the players point fingers at each other and fans and 11. Boston Bruins media scream for a big move. Jeff Skinner may be back in play, although he has an NMC. They might be willing to move one of those first-round The Bruins seem to be in on most of the big names every deadline, and picks they have stockpiled. And would long-suffering Sabres fans really this year is no exception. At some point Don Sweeney will run out of accept a quiet deadline while the playoffs slip away? picks and prospects to sacrifice, but it doesn’t sound like he’s there yet. With Tuesday’s news of David Pastrnak’s thumb injury, the temperature Jason Botterill only made one move at last season’s deadline and on Sweeney’s seat went up a few degrees and the Bruins went up a few nobody really complained, but it sure seems the honeymoon is over in spots on this list. Year 2. There may not be a team in the league facing a tougher decision over which lane they should even be in right now. 10. Carolina Hurricanes 2. Ottawa Senators They’re back in the race, and maybe even in the driver’s seat for their first playoff trip in a decade. Just a few weeks ago they were sellers, with Do you think Pierre Dorion noticed that owner ’s Micheal Ferland on the block. But now they’re probably buying, or maybe statement about the team’s rebuild plans and upcoming “unparalleled even looking to pull off the rare and fabled “hockey trade.” Either way, success” was ultra-specific on the timing but only vaguely referred to the let’s just say that Tom Dundon doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who’ll be person making the actual moves as “his general manager?” happy with playing it safe and then missing out on the wild card by a point or two. He may have, but you could forgive him for having other things on his mind these days. Namely, two pending UFA stars in Mark Stone and 9. Winnipeg Jets Matt Duchene who may or may not want to stick around. The good news, such as it is, is that Dorion’s decision on what to do with either guy isn’t 8. Nashville Predators all that tough – keep them if they’ll sign, trade them for as much as possible if they won’t. But with less than two weeks to go, it’s time for the We all know the Jets are good. But are they better than the Predators? talk to turn to action. And that action could be two of the biggest trades in And more importantly, will they be better than the Predators in two weeks franchise history, made only days apart. after David Poile is done making his annual all-in moves? 1. Columbus Blue Jackets It makes sense to group these two teams together, because their fates seemed tied. A big move by one will ratchet up the pressure on the other, I’m guessing that there wasn’t a ton of suspense around the top spot on and the whole thing could turn into a fascinating game of chicken. So this list. Like the Senators, the Blue Jackets have not one but two star we’ll list them side by side, even as we nudge the Predators a spot players that may need to be either signed or moved between now and ahead because Poile doesn’t seem like a guy with much patience for the deadline, with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky both ready to hit waiting around. the market. 7. Detroit Red Wings But unlike the situation in Ottawa, Jarmo Kekalainen also has a playoff race to worry about, with a recent slump pushing Columbus toward the They know they’re not making the playoffs. And that’s good, because wild-card bubble. Just flipping Panarin or Bobrovsky for future assets when you’re a rebuilding team, being 15 points out in February tends to won’t be enough for a team still chasing its first playoff series win in focus the mind. The Wings have an opportunity here to make a push for almost two decades. the bottom and have more chips in play than the other classic rebuild teams. And there’s an added bit of drama: Ken Holland has been through The task in front of Kekalainen is both simple and all but impossible: plenty of deadlines in Detroit, but could this be the last one? Seriously consider trading two of the best players the team has ever had, and somehow get better in the process. No pressure, right? 6. Colorado Avalanche The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 On paper, they may be the best of the West’s wild-card contenders, but that hasn’t been enough. They already own the Senators’ top pick, so you’d think that their own could be in play. But there’s also a case to be made for selling, as their slide out of a playoff spot has Joe Sakic in the dreaded tweener zone. Good GMs can weigh the circumstances, make a 1130752 Websites Deadline Cap Space: $19,578,044 Potential Free Agents: The Athletic / NHL Trade Deadline: What to expect from all 31 teams UFAs: Forward: Noel Acciari; Defense: Zdeno Chara, Steven Kampfer RFAs: Forward: Danton Heinen, Peter Cehlarik; Defense: Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo By Scott Burnside Feb 13, 2019 No need to dream small for a Boston team that’s on the periphery of contender status, why not Columbus winger Artemi Panarin? Would the Heading into the Feb. 25 trade deadline, every team – whether they are a Bruins send Jake Debrusk and a first-round pick or top prospect to land contender, a seller or a Western Conference team that is deeply flawed Panarin? Although they lag behind Tampa and Toronto and perhaps but based on an optical illusion is vying for one of the last playoff spots – even Pittsburgh and Washington in the profile department, this is a has a wish list. Bruins team that has the makings of a championship squad. But it’s hard to see them keeping pace with the Leafs and Lightning offensively unless Top-four defenseman. Veteran depth down the middle. Artemi Panarin to they make a splash at the deadline and that doesn’t come cheaply even change his mind and re-sign in Columbus … well, that might just be one if this is a buyer’s market. Whether that means swinging hard on Panarin, team. Ottawa’s Mark Stone or a lesser piece like a Mats Zuccarello, Jakob Silfverberg or Micheal Ferland, Boston GM Don Sweeney needs to make But the reality of the market is a whole different obstacle. Is a general an add here. manager willing to spend a first-round pick and/or a top prospect to bring in a rental? Can you gamble on a playoff run and then let your Buffalo Sabres unrestricted free agent leave on July 1 for nothing? Status: Buyer (Maybe) Here is a look at what every team needs, who would fit that mold and how realistic it is that a trade will be made. Deadline Cap Space: $14,935,860 Note: Deadline Cap Space from data provided by Capfriendly.com. Potential Free Agents: Anaheim Ducks UFAs: Forward: Jeff Skinner, Jason Pominville, Matt Moulson Status: Seller RFAs: Forward: Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, C.J. Smith, Evan Rodrigues; Defense: Nathan Beaulieu, Jake McCabe; Goalies: Linus Deadline Cap Space: $522,500 Ullmark Potential Free Agents: The Sabres’ wish list really depends on whether the Sabres are in win mode now or keep your powder dry mode. As constructed, the lineup is UFAs: Forward: Jakob Silfverberg, Brian Gibbons, Derek Grant, Adam too top heavy and probably not good enough defensively to realistically Cracknell; Defense: Michael Del Zotto, Korbinian Holzer, Jaycob Megna, make the playoffs this season, so GM Jason Botterill would need to add Andrej Sustr; Goalies: Chad Johnson, Ryan Miller. some scoring depth. Big picture, does he need to make a move to further solidify Jeff Skinner’s attachment to the team? If he’s not buying, does RFAs: Forward: Kevin Roy Botterill need to contemplate dealing Skinner, who would among the Things turned very ugly very quickly in Anaheim, and even if the Ducks most coveted rental players, and hope to sign him in the offseason? In a are still technically in the hunt, they are one of the worst teams in the perfect world the Sabres find their way back to another inspiring win NHL as the deadline approaches. Things got so bad that GM Bob Murray streak like their 10-game stretch early in the season and make the mercifully fired head coach Randy Carlyle and will take over as interim playoffs without having to spend assets. But as anyone who’s followed coach – even though he’s never coached before – for the balance of the the Sabres for any length of time knows, it’s not a perfect world. season so he can get a good look at his team. Chances are it’ll be even Calgary Flames uglier from the bench than the press box. On the trade front, if Murray can’t get Jakob Silfverberg under contract, he’ll be on the move and Status: Buyers should net a nice package that could include a first-round pick given his attractiveness as a strong two-way winger with good offensive upside. Deadline Cap Space: $6,978,074 And given the chaos in Anaheim, you have to wonder if Silfverberg isn’t already imagining hockey life somewhere else. Beyond Silfverberg, Potential Free Agents: expiring contracts won’t bring much but late-round draft picks so much of UFAs: Forward: Garnet Hathaway; Defense: Dalton Prout; Goalies: Mike Murray’s work will be done in the offseason as he tries to retool a team Smith that very quickly became old and slow. RFAs: Forward: Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk; Andrew Mangiapane; Arizona Coyotes Defense: Rinat Valiev; Goalies: David Rittich Status: Seller The Flames are one of the surprising stories of this NHL season, Deadline Cap Space: $29,486,236 currently sitting atop the Western Conference standings. They score like crazy and have a deep, talented blueline. If GM Brad Treliving could add Potential Free Agents: a little blend of toughness and offense up front, someone to play in the top nine – like former Flame Micheal Ferland or Wayne Simmonds – that UFAs: Forward: Michael Bunting, Richard Panik, Jordan Weal; Defense: might put them over the top. It wouldn’t be cheap and the team is solid Jordan Oesterle; Goalies: Calvin Pickard enough that, if they don’t land that type of player, it won’t be a disaster. The other issue is that at some point they hope they’re going to see the RFAs: Forward: Nick Cousins, Lawson Crouse, Mario Kempe, Conor real deal James Neal, who had just five goals through the team’s first 52 Garland, Josh Archibald, Nick Schmaltz; Defense: Ilya Lyubushkin games. If the team believes that Neal will bounce back come April, then The Coyotes wish they could get healthy so they could figure out just that might be addition they need without sending assets out the door. But how close they are to being a playoff team. One thing the Coyotes under it is a tough call. GM John Chayka have been good at is translating oodles of cap space Carolina Hurricanes into assets, as we saw when they took on the Chris Pronger and Pavel Datsyuk deals. That could happen again given the Yotes’ cap space, Status: Seller/Buyer although continuing uncertainty over ownership and the financial wherewithal of said ownership may blunt Chayka’s ability to add payroll. Deadline Cap Space: $76,273,341 Still, this is a team that’s not ready to add via the rental market and any add must have value moving forward, so that means picks for accepting Potential Free Agents: a bad salary or a player with term moving forward. In terms of returns for UFAs: Forward: Justin Williams, Micheal Ferland, Greg McKegg; actual players, Richard Panik is a mid-level forward who will yield a Goalies: Petr Mrazek, Curtis McElhinney modest package (a third-round pick?) but this deadline won’t be about anything other than looking ahead. RFAs: Forward: Sebastian Aho, Saku Maenalanen, Brock McGinn; Defense: Haydn Fleury Boston Bruins How about this? GM Don Waddell gets a package that includes a first- Status: Buyer round pick for Micheal Ferland and then turns that into a top-six scoring forward (like Mark Stone or Matt Duchene or Mats Zuccarello) and the or Gustav Nyquist. Bobrovsky is more complicated given that he has a team makes the playoffs for the first time since 2009. OK, probably not no-trade clause and trading a No. 1 goaltender in-season is always going to happen, at least the addition part, although Ferland is clearly on trickier. Even if Kekalainen is prepared to punt on Bobrovsky for modest the way out, and Waddell needs to get a good return given how well the returns, he still needs to add a bona fide starter to fill that void (i.e. Jimmy players he sent to Calgary in that deal are performing. At some point, Howard in Detroit). Lots of moving pieces and if Kekalainen can pull any Waddell also has to move a quality right-handed shot defenseman to of this off and the Blue Jackets get to the playoffs again, he should be in make room for Adam Fox, who may turn out to be the most important line for GM of the year. part of the deal with the Flames; but that might be more of a pre-draft move. In the short term, Waddell has to balance keeping his team in the Dallas Stars playoff hunt while making sure he maximizes the return on Ferland, who Status: Buyers has value given his toughness and his good offensive skills. Of course, if the Hurricanes hit the skids, then Waddell will have to go into full sell Deadline Cap Space: $1,795,834 mode, which might include approaching captain Justin William (Mr. Game 7) about whether he’d like to move in order to bring back another Potential Free Agents: draft pick or two. UFAs: Forward: Jason Spezza; Defense: Roman Polak Chicago Blackhawks RFAs: Forward: Mattias Janmark, Brett Ritchie, Jason Dickinson; Status: Sellers (Maybe) Defense: Esa Lindell, Taylor Fedun, Connor Carrick, Julius Honka Deadline Cap Space: $21,173,677 A year ago GM Jim Nill stood pat and his lineup couldn’t stand up to the rigors of the stretch run to make the playoffs. This season under rookie Potential Free Agents: head coach Jim Montgomery the Stars have been a model of defensive efficiency, but they are once again top-heavy offensively; and in spite of UFAs: Forward: Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz; Goalies: Cam Ward the controversial blasting of top players Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn by RFAs: Forward: David Kampf, Brendan Perlini; Defense: Gustav team president Jim Lites, they still don’t likely have the horses to keep Forsling, Slater Koekkoek, Carl Dahlstrom; Goalies: Collin Delia pace with Nashville or Winnipeg in the first round. The issue confronting Nill is he doesn’t have much in the farm system and he doesn’t have a When we started to compile this list putting ‘seller’ next to the ton of cap space to play with in adding a top-six forward. Julius Honka is Blackhawks was easy. But it’s not so easy now that they’ve crawled back an attractive piece given his skating ability so would expect he’d be part into the hunt. Still, I don’t see GM Stan Bowman diverting from a plan of any deal to bring in some offense, which could be in the form of a that means trying to assemble the next generation of players to get back Derick Brassard or Mats Zuccarello. in the Stanley Cup picture. With his core locked in long-term with trade protection, Bowman will be left with peripheral deals at best for a veteran Detroit Red Wings like Chris Kunitz or Cam Ward. Ward is interesting for teams like Las Status: Seller Vegas, Edmonton or Columbus, pending what the Blue Jackets do with Sergei Bobrovsky. Of course, maybe Ward just stays a Blackhawk Deadline Cap Space: $3,141,790 through the deadline and right into a first-round playoff series. Potential Free Agents: Colorado Avalanche UFAs: Forward: Gustav Nyquist, Thomas Vanek; Defense: Niklas Status: Buyers (But playing like Sellers) Kronwall, Nick Jensen, Luke Witkowski; Goalies: Jimmy Howard Deadline Cap Space: $53,560,653 RFAs: Forward: Martin Frk Potential Free Agents: Unless GM Ken Holland is going to look at trading players with term, there’s not a lot to see here. For instance, would anyone be interested in UFAs: Forward: Colin Wilson, Gabriel Bourque; Defense: Patrik Nemeth; Mike Green, who has one more year left at a whopper $5.375 million cap Goalies: Semyon Varlamov hit? Not likely unless the Wings are willing to eat half of that. Or Trevor RFAs: Forward: Sven Andrighetto, Alexander Kerfoot, J.T. Compher, Daley, who has one more year at $3.167 million but has been bothered Sheldon Dries, Mikko Rantanen, Vladislav Kamenev; Defense: Nikita by a foot injury for weeks? Same. Gustav Nyquist will command interest Zadorov from a team hoping to add offensive depth and he’s having a pretty terrific season with 46 points in 55 games en route to what should be a First GM Joe Sakic wishes his goaltenders would play better. Then he career-best in point production. Are those numbers good enough to pry a wishes his team would win a game or two. But in terms of getting his first-round pick out of a GM? Possibly, and a nice package that includes team back into the playoff picture, Sakic would like to add some depth a second-rounder should would at least be the expected return. Holland scoring and maybe some depth along the blueline, as the Avs have been expressed interest in bringing back veteran Jimmy Howard but perhaps a bit of an adventure in their own zone during the middle part of this that’s in an effort to drive up the market for the veteran netminder who season. The offseason is going to bring lots of work, including locking up has been very good for a bad Red Wings team. Still, hard to see anyone breakout star Mikko Rantanen and secondary offensive pieces like J.T. parting with a first-round pick for Howard regardless of what Holland’s Compher and Alexander Kerfoot, so a rental might be the best course of intentions are moving forward. action if Sakic is of a mind to do anything other than tinker. The Avs own Ottawa’s first-round pick, which might end up being first overall. Would it Edmonton Oilers be such a bad thing if the Avs missed altogether and entered the draft Status: Buyer (but playing very much like a seller) lottery, increasing their chances for the kind of draft that might change this team’s fortunes long-term in a hurry? Guessing Sakic plays this one Deadline Cap Space: $4,269,166 safe. Potential Free Agents: Columbus Blue Jackets UFAs: Forward: Alex Chiasson, Brad Malone; Defense: Alex Petrovic, Status: Buyer/Seller Kevin Gravel; Goalies: Cam Talbot Deadline Cap Space: $29,897,566 RFAs: Forward: Tobias Rieder, Jesse Puljujarvi, Ty Rattie, Jujhar Khaira Potential Free Agents: Well, we could quip that the Oilers’ wish list involves a redo of the past 10 years, but that would cruel. Still, it’s been more than a little messy in UFAs: Forward: Artemi Panarin, Mark Letestu; Goalies: Sergei Edmonton this season as coach Todd McLellan and GM Peter Chiarelli Bobrovsky were fired along the way. Team president Bob Nicholson feels the Oilers RFAs: Forward: Lukas Sedlak, Markus Hannikainen, Anthony Duclair; can make the playoffs and they might, but if he’s not going to part with Defense: Ryan Murray, Zach Werenski, Scott Harrington; Goalies: his team’s first-round pick, the potential to add a top-six winger who can Joonas Korpisalo score and/or a top-four defenseman who can defend is pretty much out of the question. The only thing going for the Oilers, really, is that they GM Jarmo Kekalainen might wish he was the GM of a different team have a guy named Connor McDavid. Still, the Oilers continue to play like when this is all said and done, but ideally he gets a whopper package in a team without a clue. If they continue to trend out of hailing distance of return for Panarin that includes a first-round pick, a young roster player the playoffs, look for acting GM Keith Gretzky to try and turn Alex and/or a couple of NHL ready prospects. Then Kekalainen turns those Chiasson into some modest assets. Other than that, there is nothing to assets into an offensive asset to help fill the void created by Panarin’s spark much interest from other teams on a poorly constructed Oiler departure. Think Mark Stone, Matt Duchene or at least Mats Zuccarello roster. Florida Panthers Status: Buyers (but bargain shoppers) Status: Sellers Deadline Cap Space: $40,918,996 Deadline Cap Space: $11,671,547 Potential Free Agents: Potential Free Agents: UFAs: Defense: Jordie Benn, Christian Folin; Goalies: Antti Niemi UFAs: Forward: Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Troy Brouwer, Micheal RFAs: Forward: Joel Armia, ; Defense: Brett Kulak, Mike Haley, Derek MacKenzie; Defense: Bogdan Kiselevich Reilly RFAs: Forward: Frank Vatrano, Denis Malgin; Defense: Ian McCoshen, The Habs are pretty much locked into a wholly unexpected playoff spot MacKenzie Weegar and they have done some buying but mostly of the bargain variety in adding Dale Weise, Christian Folin and Nate Thompson. But GM Marc Something is not right in South Florida given the talent available and the Bergevin made it clear he’s not mortgaging any significant futures and prospects coming through the pipeline. In the short-term, GM Dale Tallon that he’s plenty comfortable with his personnel at the time. And why not? has to clear some cap space by moving Derick Brassard and Riley Shea Weber’s return to form well ahead of schedule and the attendant Sheahan, both on expiring contracts and both acquired from Pittsburgh in elevation in the play of netminder Carey Price (no coincidence we assure recent weeks. Troy Brouwer might be an attractive depth piece for a you), along with the seamless transition of Max Domi to the center team looking for playoff experience. None of these are going to return a position has the Habs exceeding expectations – and has the entire first-round pick, although Brassard is among a handful of centers hockey world salivating at a possible Montreal/Toronto first-round potentially on the market, pending Matt Duchene’s availability, which matchup. Having made blunders with the contract and should up his value. He has 59 postseason points in 90 playoff games, understanding this isn’t truly a Stanley Cup contender, we’re guessing it’ll and Winnipeg, Dallas and Columbus could all be looking to add down the be status quo around Montreal between now and Feb. 25. middle. Tallon is already looking ahead to a big summer that could include courtship of soon to be free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Nashville Predators Bobrovsky, but the groundwork will be laid before Feb. 25. Status: Buyers Los Angeles Kings Deadline Cap Space: $29,083,839 Status: Sellers Potential Free Agents: Deadline Cap Space: $9,877,056 UFAs: Forward: Brian Boyle, Cody McLeod, Zac Rinaldo Potential Free Agents: RFAs: Forward: Ryan Hartman, Kevin Fiala, Rocco Grimaldi, Colton UFAs: Forward: Carl Hagelin, Nate Thompson; Defense: Oscar Sissons Fantenberg Can’t help but think that even after adding playoff tested center Brian RFAs: Forward: Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, Michael Amadio, Brendan Boyle GM David Poile isn’t looking for something flashier, like say Artemi Leipsic Panarin or Mark Stone. He’s got a top young prospect in Eeli Tolvanen who could be dangled to bring in a top-level offensive threat. The GM Rob Blake got a nice return from Toronto for defenseman Jake Predators went to the final in 2017 and were the Presidents’ Trophy Muzzin (a 2019 first-round pick and two prospects) but there’s a ton of winners last season before bowing to Winnipeg in the second round. work to be done if the Kings are going to get back to contender status With Kyle Turris not really working out as the Predators’ No. 2 center, a while core players Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick are fair question to ask is whether the Predators have the depth to get past still in their prime. Some talk that perhaps Jeff Carter, who has no-trade Winnipeg as they’re currently constituted. Boyle is a definite step in the protection, might be available; but at 34 with injury issues and a contract right direction. Let’s find out when or if the other shoe drops even though that runs through 2022 at a $5.27 million cap hit, it’s hard to imagine it would cost plenty. there’s much appetite for his services. The bigger question might be if Ilya Kovalchuk would agree to be moved even though he’s still in the first New Jersey Devils year of a three-year deal. The Kings would have to eat a chunk of Kovalchuk’s annual $6.25 million contract, but he has shown flashes that Status: Sellers he’s still got it at age 35 if he plays with the right people. Teams looking Deadline Cap Space: $64,052,774 for power play help like the Islanders and Hurricanes could do worse than adding the big man given that they wouldn’t have to send much Potential Free Agents: back in terms of assets for taking on the big contract. Both Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello and Carolina GM Don Waddell are familiar with UFAs: Forward: Marcus Johansson, Drew Stafford, Nick Lappin, Kurtis Kovalchuk, so there’s that. Gabriel; Defense: Ben Lovejoy, Eric Gryba, Ryan Murphy; Goalies: Keith Kincaid Minnesota Wild RFAs: Forward: Pavel Zacha; Defense: Will Butcher, Mirco Mueller Status: Buyers (but not really serious Buyers) GM Ray Shero saw his squad take a significant step back after an Deadline Cap Space: $8,937,430 unexpected playoff berth a year ago. He’s already dealt Brian Boyle to Nashville for a second round pick and he’d like to peel off some of his Potential Free Agents: other expiring contracts to collect more assets, although most of those UFAs: Forward: Eric Staal, Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks; Defense: Brad players are more of the depth type like Ben Lovejoy, who enjoyed Hunt, Anthony Bitetto success in Pittsburgh where he won a Cup in 2016, or Marcus Johansson, who is enjoying a recent uptick in productivity and has 72 RFAs: Forward: Joel Eriksson Ek, Pontus Aberg postseason games on his resume. Teams looking to add a reasonably priced piece to their top-nine forward group (would a third-round pick and Interesting test for first-year GM Paul Fenton as his Wild meanders a depth prospect get it done?) will be taking a look at Johansson, with through the second half of the season, never really out of the playoff Drew Stafford also likely to be of some interest. picture (we know, who is in the Western Conference?) but never really inspiring confidence that they are anything but once again first-round New York Islanders fodder. Losing captain Mikko Koivu for the season to injury was a significant blow to the Wild’s playoff hopes. Given this is his first trade Status: Buyers deadline with the Wild, Fenton is unlikely to do anything too outrageous. Deadline Cap Space: $46,117,421 And given how heavily the team relies on aging veterans like Zach Parise, Ryan Suter and Eric Staal, Fenton will be looking at protecting his Potential Free Agents: draft picks and young prospects. Staal would likely be the most attractive asset to move if the Wild slide south. His renaissance in Minnesota UFAs: Forward: Jordan Eberle, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Valtteri combined with a dearth of quality centers on the market would make Filppula; Defense: Luca Sbisa; Goalies: Robin Lehner Staal attractive, so that is an interesting situation to watch. But the classy RFAs: Forward: Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Dal Colle center has a modified no-trade clause so he would have to be amenable to being moved. No team has defied preseason pessimism like the Islanders. But the deadline? Well, finding a top-six forward to help bolster a middling power Montreal Canadiens play would seem to be a priority. What makes the Islanders such an interesting case is that their current lineup has so many expiring Deadline Cap Space: $6,510,833 contracts, which will make life interesting for GM Lou Lamoriello. But in a season that has seen the team thrive in the face of the departure of Potential Free Agents: captain John Tavares, look for Lamoriello to perhaps add some term UFAs: Forward: Matt Cullen, Garrett Wilson; Defense: Chad Ruhwedel given the current makeup of the lineup or conversely a rental player they might entice to sign long-term like an Artemi Panarin, Mark Stone or Matt RFAs: Forward: Teddy Blueger, Zach Aston-Reese; Defense: Juuso Duchene. The problem for the Isles is they aren’t blessed with a deep Riikola, Marcus Pettersson talent pool from which to deal and aren’t likely to deal a first-round pick in June’s draft given that they don’t have a third-round or fourth-round pick. GM Jim Rutherford, as he has throughout his long career, added early bringing in Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann from Florida for a pair of New York Rangers expiring contracts. Could the Penguins add someone else up front? Maybe some depth along the blueline? Possibly but unlikely, although Status: Sellers the recent injury to Olli Maatta might change Rutherford’s thinking on that Deadline Cap Space: $9,315,015 front. The biggest issue confronting this team and getting back to true contender status is Evgeni Malkin, who is having an un-Malkin-like Potential Free Agents: season, and the consistency of netminder Matt Murray. Not much Rutherford can do about that on Feb. 25. UFAs: Forward: Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, Cristoval Nieves; Defense: Adam McQuaid St. Louis Blues RFAs: Forward: Vinni Lettieri, Pavel Buchnevich, Fredrik Claesson; Status: Buyers (but only just) Defense: Neal Pionk, Anthony Deangelo Deadline Cap Space: $5,196,696 The Rangers continue to evolve under rookie coach amid a rebuild that the team announced a year ago. There’s still work to be done Potential Free Agents: as Mats Zuccarello will be on the move and his recent spike in UFAs: Forward: Patrick Maroon; Defense: Jay Bouwmeester, Carl productivity should help GM Jeff Gorton edge toward a first-round pick for Gunnarsson, Chris Butler the skilled winger. Kevin Hayes, too, will be an attractive commodity given the lack of centers available on the marketplace and should garner RFAs: Forward: Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, Oskar a package that could include a second-round pick and more. Does GM Sundqvist; Defense: Joel Edmundson; Defense: Joel Edmundson; Jeff Gorton go deeper than expiring contracts with a guy like Chris Goalies: Jordan Binnington Kreider? Only if the return includes a first-round pick and other assets but this is an important time for the Rangers. The Blues, once left for dead in this most curious of seasons, aren’t just back but back with a vengeance. Given all of the work done by GM Doug Ottawa Senators Armstrong in the offseason and how long it’s taken this team to coalesce, it is doubtful he’s going to do much beyond tinkering. Armstrong also has Status: Sellers a handful of RFAs to consider in the offseason, so it is unlikely he’ll do Deadline Cap Space: $33,484,148 much to add to his offseason challenges unless it’s a hockey deal to add for the future via a player with term. Assuming Jordan Binnington Potential Free Agents: continues his stellar play in goal, the Blues will presumably be content to let things play out without further disruptions at the deadline. UFAs: Forward: Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Magnus Paajarvi; Goalies: Anders Nilsson San Jose Sharks RFAs: Forward: Colin White; Defense: Cody Ceci Status: Buyers Well, the Senators wish they had a new downtown arena (that’s still in Deadline Cap Space: $5,328,621 the works) and lots of fans wish they had a new owner in place of Eugene Melnyk (probably not going to happen); but in terms of wishes Potential Free Agents: that might come true, the heavy lifting is all on GM Pierre Dorion who UFAs: Forward: Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Joonas Donskoi; Defense: must maximize assets for Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and possibly Ryan Erik Karlsson, Tim Heed Dzingel. Dorion could still sign one or a combination of the three but it seems unlikely. Duchene and Stone should return a king’s ransom, RFAs: Forward: Dylan Gambrell, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc; Defense: especially if the acquiring team is able to lock them up long-term. Joakim Ryan Duchene is especially attractive as the top center possibly in play with teams like Winnipeg, Dallas, Columbus and the New York Islanders GM Doug Wilson has his hands full in the coming months figuring out looking to add down the middle. A first-round pick, top prospect and other what to do with expiring contracts on key personnel like Joe Pavelski, assets are in the offing for both Stone and Duchene. Dzingel has now Erik Karlsson and Joe Thornton – not to mention a handful of key RFAs. topped the 20-goal mark for the second straight season and should also And given last year’s deadline add of Evander Kane and the early- net a nice package as a Plan B for a team looking to add offense. season add of Karlsson, it’s doubtful there’s much left for Wilson to do before Feb. 25. His goaltending has only been OK, but Martin Jones has Philadelphia Flyers been better of late and there’s unlikely to be a move for him there regardless. Outside a tinker here or there in the bottom part of the Status: Sellers forward corps, the Sharks will likely look much the same after the Deadline Cap Space: $40,097,624 deadline – and that still colors them a Cup contender. Potential Free Agents: Tampa Bay Lightning UFAs: Forward: Wayne Simmonds, Michael Raffl, Philip Varone; Goalies: Status: Buyers Mike McKenna, Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth Deadline Cap Space: $7,953,300 RFAs: Forward: Scott Laughton, Travis Konecny, Justin Bailey; Defense: Potential Free Agents: Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim; Goalies: Anthony Stolarz UFAs: Defense: Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn, Dan Girardi What a nice little run for the Flyers under interim coach Scott Gordon, but GM Chuck Fletcher, who took the job mid-season after Ron Hextall was RFAs: Forward: Cedric Paquette, Adam Erne, Danick Martel, Brayden fired, must get a good return for veteran winger Wayne Simmonds. Point Maybe Simmonds returns to the Flyers in the offseason, but his blend of toughness and skill should net a first-round pick or an attractive prospect Pretty sure the Lightning, from GM Julien BriseBois on down, are just package even though his durability is a bit of a concern. As for the idea wishing the playoffs could start tomorrow. By far the best team in the that Fletcher should hang onto Simmonds and hope for a playoff spot, NHL, there are no obvious needs but that doesn’t mean BriseBois won’t that ignores the fact that, as good as the Flyers have played of late, they look at adding an impact player like Wayne Simmonds or Micheal have only a modest shot at the postseason and Fletcher’s mandate is to Ferland, someone who can bring toughness and skill to an already skilled get this team on the correct course moving forward. lineup. An insurance piece on the blueline wouldn’t hurt either, something along the lines of an Adam McQuaid-style player. Having been to a final Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015 and a conference final in 2016 and 2018, there is more than a little urgency for this team to take that final step to a championship. Status: Buyers BriseBois won’t sit idly by even if he has some big challenges upcoming UFAs: Forward: Brett Connolly, Devante Smith-Pelly, Nic Dowd; contractually, including getting RFA Brayden Point under contract. Defense: Brooks Orpik Toronto Maple Leafs RFAs: Forward: Andre Burakovsky, Dmitrij Jaskin, Jakub Vrana, Chandler Stephenson; Defense: Christian Djoos Status: Buyers Lots of speculation that GM Brian MacLellan will move Andre Deadline Cap Space: $20,087,502 Burakovsky, a first-round pick who never quite met expectations and was Potential Free Agents: lapped by other prospects, like Jakub Vrana. But that only makes sense if MacLellan can bring in a top-nine forward who will out-perform UFAs: Forward: Par Lindholm, Tyler Ennis; Defense: Jake Gardiner; Ron Burakovsky; and given that Burakovsky is an RFA, bringing in a player Hainsey with term to replace him would be ideal yet difficult to pull off. Keeping in mind the raises due some of the young players on his roster and that RFAs: Forward: Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson; Braden Holtby will be entering the final year of his current deal next Defense: Igor Ozhiganov; Goalies: Garret Sparks season, MacLellan must be cautious as he was a year ago in bringing in Michal Kempny in an understated move that paid huge dividends. First-year GM Kyle Dubas got his shopping done early by acquiring left- handed shot defenseman Jake Muzzin. It wasn’t the right-handed shot Winnipeg Jets they were ideally looking for and maybe if one fell into Dubas’s lap he’d jump at that chance before, but there really aren’t too many holes in this Status: Buyers Leafs lineup even if they are struggling to find consistency in the dog days of the season. Of course, the heavy lifting takes place this Deadline Cap Space: $26,447,289 offseason for Dubas who, having inked Auston Matthews to a five-year Potential Free Agents: extension, has to find a way to jam RFAs Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson under the salary cap. UFAs: Forward: Brandon Tanev; Defense: Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot Vancouver Canucks RFAs: Forward: Andrew Copp, Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Nicolas Petan, Brendan Lemieux; Defense: Jacob Trouba, Joe Morrow; Goalies: Laurent Status: Sellers (yes, pretty sure they’re selling) Brossoit Deadline Cap Space: $42,854,605 A year ago the Jets added veteran pivot Paul Stastny and advanced to a Potential Free Agents: Western Conference final. Deep, skilled and physical, the Jets are built for the long haul and will once again look to add down the middle with a UFAs: Defense: Alexander Edler veteran presence. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be looking for a straight rental given his offseason challenges (i.e. signing RFAs Patrik Laine, RFAs: Forward: Markus Granlund, Tyler Motte, Josh Leivo, Brock Jacob Trouba and Kyle Connor, et al). The safe bet is a guy like Derick Boeser, Nikolay Goldobin; Defense: Ben Hutton, Derrick Pouliot; Goalies: Brassard in Florida or Kevin Hayes in New York; but if they could Thatcher Demko somehow pull off a deal for Matt Duchene, that might be the final piece to a long-awaited Stanley Cup puzzle. GM Jim Benning must have a steady hand at the deadline and resist the temptation to try and accelerate the rebuild process in long-suffering The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 Vancouver. The Canucks are one of the pleasant surprises in the NHL this season led by rookie of the year shoo-in Elias Pettersson. But the key for Benning is in making sure he locks up the young talent at hand as opposed to reaching for a defenseman or offensive help, especially with veteran defenseman Alexander Edler shelved with a concussion. We’ll be shocked if the Canucks do anything but see where this trip takes them in the short term because suddenly the future looks brighter than it has since the team’s trip to the 2011 Stanley Cup final. If the team does fall from the playoff race and Edler is healthy, he would be an attractive rental given his solid season with the Canucks and the lack of impact defenders on the market. Even if he wanted to stay in Vancouver, nothing stopping him from re-upping in the offseason and helping the cause by bringing in a second-round pick and/or prospects. Vegas Golden Knights Status: Buyers Deadline Cap Space: $16,497,033 Potential Free Agents: UFAs: Forward: Oscar Lindberg, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Brandon Pirri; Defense: Deryk Engelland RFAs: Forward: William Karlsson, Tomas Nosek; Defense: Jake Bischoff; Goalies: Malcolm Subban After adding Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty before the season one might imagine GM George McPhee will be quiet at the deadline. Doubt it. Having advanced to a Stanley Cup final in their first season of existence the bar has been set high. And with a ton of assets in young prospects and draft picks in the cupboard, McPhee can afford to swing big again, although he will have to be cognizant of disrupting the tightly knit dressing room. Still, adding another impact forward like a Wayne Simmonds and/or some depth along the blueline would reaffirm this team as a legitimate contender. McPhee’s most critical need, however, might be in finding some relief for veteran netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, who has secured all but two of the Golden Knights’ wins this season. Several options, including Cam Talbot, Cam Ward (possibly) and Jimmy Howard. Washington Capitals Status: Buyers Deadline Cap Space: $1,101,060 Potential Free Agents: 1130753 Websites Blackhawks, whose average ice time in the regular season dropped from over 19 minutes per night in the desert to just over 14 minutes. In 19 regular season games with Chicago, Vermette contributed only three The Athletic / Historical look at deadline deals involving first-round picks assists. When the playoffs came, the veteran was even a healthy scratch and how infrequently they move the needle for the first two games against Nashville, but he got back in the lineup and played all but one game the rest of the way. In 20 postseason games, he had four goals and seven points with three of the goals being game-winners, one of them in double-overtime against Anaheim that By Darren Haynes Feb 13, 2019 evened up the conference final at 2-2. Chicago defeated Tampa Bay in six games to win the Stanley Cup.

Kaberle, 32, was acquired by Boston from Toronto on Feb. 18, 2011, in It’s a great trivia question to try out on your buddies the next time you’re exchange for a first-round pick in 2011, a second-round pick in 2012 and gathered at the pub over a few pints and some wings. prospect Joe Colborne. It was the first time the Czech had been traded Name the only two players in the last 15 years, who were pure rentals after spending 12 NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs. Kaberle was a picked up at the NHL trade deadline, who cost a first-round draft pick to solid part of the Bruins playoff run that saw them go the distance in three acquire and who ended up being sized for a Stanley Cup ring four of their four series — Montreal in Round 1, Tampa Bay in the conference months later. final and the Canucks in the climactic Stanley Cup final. Playing on the third pairing behind Dennis Seidenberg, Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk By pure rental, I’m talking about guys on expiring contracts. Not players and Andrew Ference, Kaberle’s biggest contributions came on the power with another season remaining beyond the current one. Strictly that high- play where he was a fixture on the top unit. end hired gun, widely sought after, who commanded a first-round pick as part of the package to acquire them. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the two rentals that ended up on teams that missed the playoffs were: I’ll give you a hint. One is a centre, the other is a defenceman. Oh, and neither re-signed with the organization that traded for them. In both 2015 | D Andrej Sekera, LA instances, each played in more playoff games than regular season 2009 | C Mike Comrie, Ott games for the new team, booked their day with the Cup for that summer, then hit the free agent market. When the Kings acquired Sekera, 29, on Feb. 25, 2015, they were in a playoff spot. But they stumbled down the stretch. An injury sidelined What makes it a great trivia question is the answer doesn’t immediately Sekera for their final six games that included a 0-2-1 road trip through spring to mind. And in it lies the harsh reality about making that big Western Canada that proved to be the dagger in their post-season splashy deadline acquisition so many teams have pulled the trigger on in aspirations. the past and so many are mulling over as we speak. Ottawa’s move to reacquire Mike Comrie, 28, on Feb. 20, 2009, was a bit The cold, hard truth is, most of the time, it doesn’t work. of a head-scratcher given the Senators weren’t in a playoff spot at the Over the last 15 years, there have been 29 teams that have tried it. That time and a postseason berth looked like a long shot. A key part of the exact scenario of a first-round pick for a player on an expiring contract. trade that cost the Senators a first-round pick and veteran forward Dean Only twice has it worked. Viewed another way, 12 of the last 14 Stanley McAmmond, was acquiring 24-year-old puck-moving defenceman Chris Cup winners have managed to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup without bringing Campoli. But it’s safe to say it didn’t work out as the Sens hoped in the in such a player. long term. Ottawa missed the playoffs, Comrie left as a free agent that summer and Campoli was dealt two years later. Give up yet? While it’s interesting to note the success stories and flops, of the pending Here’s another hint. One was picked up by Chicago in 2015. The other UFA acquisitions, you need to dig deeper to try and gauge the impact, or by Boston in 2011. lack thereof, for each deal. What makes this a hot topic is the buzz around the league right now is Perhaps success shouldn’t only be defined as winning the Stanley Cup. who will be the next expensive rental. There’s going to be one, for sure. You’d think it would be when the price tag is a first round pick and you’re Going back to 2004, there hasn’t been a season in which there wasn’t at a contending team, but perhaps a bubble team that ends up reaching the least one trade made near the deadline that fits this description. Last conference final would consider that type of move to be worthwhile. year there were three big additions made in February with Evander Kane, Paul Stastny and Rick Nash all being moved. The season prior, Kevin To decipher the impact of each of the 29 trades, I examine each one Shattenkirk and Martin Hanzal were the stretch-drive splurges. below and note whether the acquiring team ended up having more or less success than what would have been projected for that team at the There’s no shortage of players available this year who would command time of the deal. that price tag, either. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky from Columbus come to mind, should the Blue Jackets decide they can’t risk For this, I remove all subjectivity and simply looked at the team’s position both players walking this summer without getting something in return. in the division, conference and overall standings on the day of the trade, Ottawa’s Matt Duchene and Mark Stone are another couple players that then used those standing to determine what would happen if the playoffs general managers would be giddy to get their mitts on. Wayne Simmonds were to start the next day and there were no upsets. from Philadelphia is yet another. All of them are established, high-end For example, if you were one of the fifth through eighth-ranked teams in players on expiring contracts, who would upgrade any roster. your conference, a first-round exit would have been your expected result. But if you’re a contending team, the question you must ask yourself: is it If you’re the third- or fourth-ranked teams in the conference, you’d be worth the risk? Remember, 27 out of the last 29 times it hasn’t worked. projected for a second-round exit. If you’re the top team in your Here’s a breakdown of how the acquiring team did: conference, reaching the Stanley Cup final would be the projection. Missed the playoffs: 2 That was how the team was trending at the time of the trade, now how did it turn out in reality? When viewed through that lens, here’s the First-round exit: 11 breakdown: Second-round exit: 9 Lasted three more rounds than projected: 2 Conference final: 3 Two more rounds: 3 Stanley Cup final: 2 One more round: 5 Stanley Cup Champion: 2 No difference: 7 Give up on my question yet? The two rentals that went on to win Stanley Lasted one fewer round than projected: 5 Cup rings were: Two fewer rounds: 3 2015 | C Antoine Vermette, Chi Three fewer rounds: 4 2011 | D Tomas Kaberle, Bos As you can see, in addition to the teams whose fate ended up not Vermette, 32, was acquired by Chicago from Arizona on Feb. 28, 2015, changing at all, it’s equally balanced between teams doing slightly better in exchange for a first-round pick and defenceman Klas Dahlbeck. He than expected (lasting one or two rounds longer) and teams doing slightly went from a top-six player with the Coyotes to a role player with the worse (being eliminated one or two rounds earlier). The one difference was the four occurrences of an acquiring team, who Forsberg had 13 assists in his 17 regular-season games with Nashville. were a top-two team in their conference, ending up being upset in the But it wasn’t enough to keep the Predators in top spot in the Central with first round. Meanwhile, only twice did the opposite occur — a first-round Detroit passing them by season’s end. That resulted in a tough 4-5 exit candidate at the time of the trade, going all the way to the final matchup with San Jose in the opening round and despite having home- instead. ice advantage, Nashville succumbed in five games. As for the first- rounder given up, it ended up back in the hands of the Preds prior to the The two success stories were: draft, but they had to trade D Kimmo Timonen and LW Scott Hartnell to 2015 | C Antoine Vermette, Chi the Flyers to reacquire it, so it was costly. 2006 | G , Min Two things I’ll point out before I send you away to skim through these 29 deals since 2004. At the time of the Vermette acquisition, the Blackhawks were third in the Central, 10 points behind Nashville and five points back of St. Louis. The First, in many of these deals, there were other pieces involved. Later default expectations when it came to a projection at that moment was a round draft picks going one way or another, and/or B prospects and/or Predators-Blues Central Division final. The Blues went on a tear the rest other depth NHL players. But the rest of it is mostly just noise so for of the way to win the division, resulting in the Predators dropping to simplicity sake, I don’t get into all of that minutiae, focusing strictly on the second where they had home-ice advantage against Chicago, who were big fish acquired. two points back. But the Blackhawks took them down in six games and Second, I also note who the draft pick turned out to be that went the after St. Louis was upset in Round 1 by Minnesota, Chicago moved onto other direction. However, I also include a caveat. When you get that deep the Western Conference final with a sweep of the Wild. They then upset into the first round, you’re at a point where rankings will vary from team to the Anaheim Ducks in seven games to reach the final. team. Just because one team drafted player A, that doesn’t mean that When the Oilers acquired Roloson, 36, on March 8, 2006, Edmonton was the other team would have also drafted player A had they kept the draft clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, thanks to a three- pick instead. To give you a sense of the pool of players that were headed monster of mediocrity in net of Jussi Markkanen, Ty Conklin and available when that pick was made, I have listed the next four names that Mike Morrison. As soon as Roloson arrived, he immediately took over got drafted, any one of which could have ended up as the selection. between the pipes and played the rest of the regular season. Despite 2018 ending the season in the eighth spot, the Oilers’ Cinderella run to the final began with a six-game upset of the top-ranked Detroit Red Wings. Feb. 26 – SJ acquires LW Evander Kane from Buf Next, they upset San Jose in six games and in the conference final, took down Anaheim in five games. Roloson’s run ended when he suffered a Record at the time: 33-21-9 | second in Pacific, fifth in West knee injury in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against Carolina. Playoff projection: second-round exit Markkanen took over and got the Oilers to Game 7, where they lost 3-1 at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Rest of season: 12-6-1 Meanwhile, there were four failed acquisitions. Of course, this doesn’t Final record: 45-27-10 | third in Pacific, sixth in West necessarily mean it was due to the player’s performance, but the team went from being one of the Stanley Cup favourites at the time they made Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to VGK (4-2) the trade, to being ousted in the first round. Result: Same The four flops were: Kane 2017 | C Martin Hanzal, Min With Buf: 61 gm, 20-20-40 2015 | D Cody Franson, Nsh With SJ: 17 gm, 9-5-14 2012 | D Kyle Quincey, Det Playoffs: 9 gm, 4-1-5 2007 | C Peter Forsberg, Nsh Re-signed with Sharks When the Wild acquired Hanzal in 2017, they were 39-14-6, leading the First-rounder: In 2019 Western Conference and were second overall. But things went sideways down the stretch as they went 10-11-2 after the trade and were quickly The pick: TBD disposed of by the Blues in five games in the opening round. The first- rounder they gave up turned into lanky D Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Selected Feb. 26 – Wpg acquires C Paul Stastny from Stl 23rd overall, the 19-year-old remains in the QMJHL and is expected to turn pro this fall. Record at the time: 37-16-9 | second in Central, third in West Nashville had the NHL’s best record at 38-12-6 when GM David Poile, Playoff projection: second-round exit seeking veteran defencemen help, brought in Franson from Toronto in Rest of season: 15-4-1 2015 in a deal that also saw the Predators get forward Mike Santorelli. But Nashville hit the skids at that point, finishing the year 9-13-4, Final record: 52-20-10 | second in Central, second in West including a season-ending six-game losing slide that knocked them out of top spot in the Central. The woes continued in the playoffs as the Playoff outcome: Conference final, lost to VGK (4-1) Predators were upended in six games in the opening round by Chicago. Result: One more round To add to the pain, that first-rounder surrendered ended up in the hands of Philadelphia, via a subsequent trade, and the Flyers used the 24th Stastny pick to select centre Travis Konecny, who has become a key contributor for them. With Stl: 63 gm, 12-28-40 In 2012, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Colorado engaged in a three-way deal With Wpg: 19 gm, 4-9-13 that saw Kyle Quincey acquired by the Red Wings, Steve Downie go to Playoffs: 17 gm, 6-9-15 Colorado and a first-round pick, that had belonged to Detroit, go to the Lightning. The Red Wings were looking to add defensive depth and they Departed, signed with Golden Knights very very familiar with Quincey, who had broken into the league with Detroit. The move did not have the desired effect as the Red Wings, the First-rounder: 29th in 2018 top team in the West at the time of the trade at 41-18-2, and second The pick: D Rasmus Sandin (by Tor, via subsequent trade) overall, went 7-10-4 after the trade to fall to third in the Central. The resulted was opening up on the road in Nashville and five games later, Next four: C Joe Veleno, D Alexander Alexeyev, D Mattias Samuelsson, their postseason was over. Meanwhile, that first-round pick ended up RW Jonatan Berggren 19th where Lightning GM Steve Yzerman drafted goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. No matter how you slice it, it was a miserable outcome for Feb. 25 – Bos acquires LW Rick Nash from NYR the Red Wings. Record at the time: 37-15-8 | second in Atlantic, second in East Best in the West and second overall, Nashville already looked like one of the teams to beat in 2007 at 39-16-3 when they acquired the two-time Playoff projection: second-round exit Stanley Cup winner Peter Forsberg, 33, from Philadelphia to provide Rest of season: 13-5-4 more experience and skill up the middle. While he scored just twice, Final record: 50-20-12 | second in Atlantic, second in East Playoff outcome: first-round exit, lost to Stl (4-3) Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to TB (4-1) Result: One fewer round Result: Same Ladd Nash With Wpg: 59 gm, 17-17-34 With NYR: 60 gm, 18-10-28 With Chi: 19 gm, 8-4-12 With Bos: 11 gm, 3-3-6 Playoffs: 7 gm, 1-1-2 Playoffs: 12 gm, 3-2-5 Departed, signed with Islanders Departed, retired First-rounder: 22nd in 2016 First-rounder: 26th in 2018 The pick: C German Rubtsov (by Phi, via subsequent trade) The pick: D Jacob Bernard-Docker (by Ott, via subsequent trade) Next four: C Henrik Borgstrom, LW Max Jones, LW Riley Tufte, C Tage Thompson Next four: D Nicolas Beaudin, D Nils Lundkvist, D Rasmus Sandin, C Joe Veleno 2015 2017 Feb. 28 – Chi acquires C Antoine Vermette from Ari Feb. 27 – Wsh acquires D Kevin Shattenkirk from Stl Record at the time: 37-21-5 | third in Central, fourth in West Record at the time: 41-13-7 | first in Metropolitan, first in East, first overall Playoff projection: first-round exit Playoff projection: Stanley Cup Champion Rest of season: 11-7-1 Rest of season: 14-6-1 Final record: 48-28-6 | third in Central, fourth in West Final record: 55-19-8 | first in Metropolitan, first in East, first overall Playoff outcome: Won Stanley Cup, defeated TB (4-2) Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to Pit (4-3) Result: Three more rounds Result: Two fewer rounds Vermette Shattenkirk With Ari: 63 gm, 13-22-35 With Stl: 61 gm, 11-31-42 With Chi: 19 gm, 0-3-3 With Wsh: 19 gm, 2-12-14 Playoffs: 20 gm, 4-3-7 Playoffs: 13 gm, 1-5-6 Departed, signed with Coyotes Departed, signed with Rangers First-rounder: 30th in 2015 First-rounder: 27th in 2017 The pick: RW Nick Merkley The pick: C Morgan Frost (by Phi, via subsequent trade) Next four: D Jeremy Roy, RW Christian Fischer, C Mitchell Stephens, D Travis Dermott Next four: C Shane Bowers, D Henri Jokiharju, RW Eeli Tolvanen, C Klim Kostin Feb. 25 – LA acquires D Andrej Sekera from Car Feb. 26 – Min acquires C Martin Hanzal from Ari Record at the time: 29-18-12 | third in Pacific, sixth in West Record at the time: 39-14-6 | first in Central, first in West, second overall Playoff projection: first-round exit Playoff projection: Stanley Cup finalist Rest of season: 11-9-3 Rest of season: 10-11-2 Final record: 40-27-15 | fourth in Pacific, ninth in West Final record: 49-25-8 | second in Central, second in West Playoff outcome: Did not qualify Playoff outcome: first round exit, upset by Stl (4-1) Result: One fewer round Result: Three fewer rounds Sekera Hanzal With Car: 57 gm, 2-17-19 With Ari: 51 gm, 16-10-26 With LA: 16 gm, 1-3-4 With Min: 20 gm, 4-9-13 Playoffs: N/A Playoffs: 5 gm, 1-0-1 Departed, signed with Oilers Departed, signed with Stars First-rounder: 21st in 2016 First-rounder: 23rd in 2017 The pick: RW Julien Gauthier The pick: D Pierre-Olivier Joseph Next four: C German Rubtsov, C Henrik Borgstrom, LW Max Jones, LW Riley Tufte Next four: RW Kristian Vesalainen, C Ryan Poehling, G Jake Oettinger, C Morgan Frost Feb. 15 – Nsh acquires D Cody Franson from Tor 2016 Record at the time: 38-12-6 | first in Central, first in West, first overall Feb. 25 – Chi acquires LW Andrew Ladd from Wpg Playoff projection: Stanley Cup champion Record at the time: 38-20-5 | second in Central, second in West Rest of season: 9-13-4 Playoff projection: second-round exit Final record: 47-25-10 | second in Central, third in West Rest of season: 9-6-4 Playoff outcome: first-round exit, upset by Chi (4-2) Final record: 47-26-9 | third in Central, third in West Result: Three fewer rounds Franson Gaustad With Tor: 55 gm, 6-26-32 With Buf: 56 gm, 7-10-17 With Nsh: 23 gm, 1-3-4 With Nsh: 14 gm, 0-4-4 Playoffs: 5 gm, 0-2-2 Playoffs: 10 gm, 1-1-2 Departed, signed with Sabres Re-signed with Predators First-rounder: 24th in 2015 First-rounder: 21st in 2012 The pick: C Travis Konecny (by Phi, via subsequent trade) The pick: C Mark Jankowski (by Cgy, via subsequent trade) Next four: C Jack Roslovic, D Noah Juulsen, D Jacob Larsson, C Next four: D Olli Maatta, D Mike Matheson, G Malcolm Subban, D Jordan Anthony Beauvillier Schmaltz 2014 Feb. 21 – Det acquires D Kyle Quincey from Col (via TB) Feb. 28 – Stl acquires G Ryan Miller from Buf Record at the time: 41-18-2 | first in Central, first in West, second overall Record at the time: 39-14-6 | first in Central, second in West Playoff projection: Stanley Cup final Playoff projection: Conference final Rest of season: 7-10-4 Rest of season: 13-9-1 Final record: 48-28-6 | third in Central, fifth in West Final record: 52-23-7 | second in Central, third in West Playoff outcome: first-round exit, lost to Nsh (4-1) Playoff outcome: first-round exit, upset by Chi (4-2) Result: Three fewer rounds Result: Two fewer rounds Quincey Miller With Col: 54 gm, 5-18-23 With Buf: 40 gm, 15-22-3, .923 SV percentage With Det: 18 gm, 2-1-3 With Stl: 19 gm, 10-8-1, .903 SV percentage Playoffs: 5 gm, 0-2-2 Playoffs: 20 gm, 2-4, .897 SV percentage Re-signed with Red Wings Departed, signed with Canucks First-rounder: 19th in 2012 First-rounder: 25th in 2015 The pick: G Andrei Vasilevskiy (by TB, via three-way trade) The pick: C Jack Roslovic (by Wpg, via subsequent trade) Next four: C Scott Laughton, C Mark Jankowski, D Olli Maatta, D Mike Matheson Next four: D Noah Juulsen, D Jacob Larsson, LW Anthony Beauvillier, D Gabriel Carlsson 2011 2013 Feb. 18 – Bos acquires D Tomas Kaberle from Tor March 27 – Pit acquires RW Jarome Iginla from Cgy Record at the time: 32-19-7 | first in Northeast, third in East Record at the time: 26-8-0 | first in Atlantic, first in East, second overall Playoff projection: second round exit Playoff projection: Stanley Cup final Rest of season: 14-6-4 Rest of season: 10-4-0 Final record: 46-25-11 | first in Northeast, third in East Final record: 36-12-0 | first in Atlantic, first in East, second overall Playoff outcome: Won Stanley Cup, defeated Van (4-3) Playoff outcome: Conference final, upset by Bos (4-0) Result: Two more rounds Result: One fewer round Kaberle Iginla With Tor: 58 gm, 3-35-38 With Cgy: 31 gm, 9-13-22 With Bos: 24 gm, 1-8-9 With Pit: 13 gm, 5-6-11 Playoffs: 25 gm, 0-11-11 Playoffs: 15 gm, 4-8-12 Departed, signed with Hurricanes Departed, signed with Bruins First-rounder: 30th in 2011 First-rounder: 28th in 2013 The pick: RW Rickard Rakell (by Ana, via subsequent trade) The pick: LW Morgan Klimchuk Next four: D David Musil, RW Ty Rattie, C Rocco Grimaldi, D Scott Mayfield Next four: C Jason Dickinson, RW Ryan Hartman, D Ian McCoshen, D Chris Bigras 2010 2012 Feb. 4 – NJ acquires LW Ilya Kovalchuk from Atl Feb. 27 – Nsh acquires C Paul Gaustad from Buf Record at the time: 35-18-2 | first in Atlantic, second in East Record at the time: 37-19-7 | third in Central, fifth in West Playoff projection: Conference final Playoff projection: first-round exit Rest of season: 13-9-5 Rest of season: 11-7-1 Final record: 48-27-7 | first in Atlantic, second in East Final record: 48-26-8 | second in Central, fourth in West Playoff outcome: first round exit, upset by Phi (4-1) Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to Phx (4-1) Result: Two fewer rounds Result: One more round Kovalchuk With Atl: 49 gm, 31-27-58 With SJ: 20 gm, 3-16-19 With NJ: 27 gm, 10-17-27 Playoffs: 13 gm, 1-6-7 Playoffs: 5 gm, 2-4-6 Departed, signed with Blackhawks Re-signed with Devils First-rounder: 19th in 2008 First-rounder: 24th in 2010 The pick: LW Tyler Ennis The pick: RW Kevin Hayes (by Chi, via subsequent trade) Next four: D John Carlson, LW Viktor Tikhonov, C Daultan Leveille, G Tom McCollum Next four: LW Quinton Howden, C Evgeny Kuznetsov, G Mark Visentin, C Charlie Coyle Feb. 26 – Pit acquires RW Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from Atl 2009 Record at the time: 36-21-7 | second in Atlantic, fourth in East Feb. 20 – Ott acquires C Mike Comrie from NYI Playoff projection: second round exit Record at the time: 22-26-9 | fourth in Northeast, 11th in East Rest of season: 11-6-1 Playoff projection: Will not qualify Final record: 47-27-8 | first in Atlantic, second in East Rest of season: 14-9-2 Playoff outcome: Stanley Cup final, lost to Det (4-2) Final record: 36-35-11 | fourth in Northeast, 11th in East Result: Two more rounds Playoff outcome: Did not qualify Hossa Result: Same With Atl: 60 gm, 26-30-56 Comrie With Pit: 12 gm, 3-7-10 With NYI: 41 gm, 7-13-20 Playoffs: 20 gm, 12-14-26 With Ott: 22 gm, 3-4-7 Departed, signed with Red Wings Playoffs: N/A Dupuis Departed, signed with Oilers With Atl: 62 gm, 10-5-15 First-rounder: 26th in 2009 With Pit: 16 gm, 2-10-12 The pick: C/RW Kyle Palmieri (by Ana, via subsequent trades) Playoffs: 20 gm, 2-5-7 Next four: C Philippe Paradis, D Dylan Olsen, RW Carter Ashton, D Re-signed with Penguins Simon Depres First-rounder: 29th in 2008 2008 The pick: C Daultan Leveille Feb. 26 – Col acquires D Adam Foote from Clb Next four: G Tom McCollum, G Jacob Markstrom, D Vyacheslav Voynov, Record at the time: 32-26-6 | fourth in Northwest, 10th in West C Phil McRae Playoff projection: Will not qualify 2007 Rest of season: 12-5-1 Feb. 27 – Buf acquires C Dainius Zubrus from Wsh Final record: 44-31-7 | second in Northwest, sixth in West Record at the time: 42-16-5 | first in Northeast, first in East, first overall Playoff outcome: second round exit, lost to Det (4-0) Playoff projection: Stanley Cup champion Result: Two more rounds Rest of season: 11-6-2 Foote Final record: 53-22-7 | first in Northeast, first in East, first overall With Clb: 63 gm, 1-14-15 Playoff outcome: Conference final, upset by Ott (4-1) With Col: 12 gm, 0-0-1 Result: One fewer round Playoffs: 10 gm, 0-0-0 Zubrus Re-signed with Avalanche With Wsh: 60 gm, 20-32-52 First-rounder: 19th in 2008 With Buf: 19 gm, 4-4-8 The pick: D Luca Sbisa (by Phi, via subsequent trades) Playoffs: 15 gm, 0-8-8 Next four: D Michael Del Zotto, C Anton Gustafsson, RW Jordan Eberle, Departed, signed with Devils D Tyler Cuma First-rounder: 28th in 2007 Feb. 26 – SJ acquires D Brian Campbell from Buf The pick: D Nick Petrecki (by SJ, via subsequent trades) Record at the time: 33-21-8 | third in Pacific, fifth in West Next four: C Jim O’Brien, D Nick Ross, D TJ Brennan, LW Brett MacLean Playoff projection: first round exit Feb. 27 – SJ acquires RW Bill Guerin from Stl Rest of season: 16-2-2 Record at the time: 38-24-1 | third in Pacific, sixth in West Final record: 49-23-10 | first in Pacific, second in West Playoff projection: first-round exit Playoff outcome: second round exit, lost to Dal (4-2) Rest of season: 13-2-4 Result: One more round Final record: 51-26-5 | second in Pacific, fifth in West Campbell Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to Det (4-2) With Buf: 63 gm, 5-38-43 Result: One more round Guerin Departed, signed with Avalanche With Stl: 61 gm, 28-19-47 First-rounder: 23rd in 2007 With SJ: 16 gm, 8-1-9 The pick: D Jonathon Blum (by Nsh, via subsequent trade) Playoffs: 9 gm, 0-2-2 Next four: C Mikael Backlund, C Patrick White, LW David Perron, D Brendan Smith Departed, signed with Islanders Feb. 12 – Dal acquires RW Ladislav Nagy from Phx First-rounder: 26th in 2007 Record at the time: 34-20-2 | third in Pacific, sixth in West The pick: LW David Perron Playoff projection: first-round exit Next four: D Brendan Smith, D Nick Petrecki, C Jim O’Brien, D Nick Ross Rest of season: 16-5-5 Feb. 25 – SJ acquires D Craig Rivet from Mtl Final record: 50-25-7 | third in Pacific, sixth in West Record at the time: 38-23-1 | third in Pacific, sixth in West Playoff outcome: first-round exit, lost to Van (4-3) Playoff projection: first-round exit Result: Same Rest of season: 13-3-4 Nagy Final record: 51-26-5 | second in Pacific, fifth in West With Phx: 55 gm, 8-33-41 Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to Det (4-2) With Nsh: 25 gm, 4-10-14 Result: One more round Playoffs: 7 gm, 1-1-2 Rivet Departed, signed with Kings With Mtl: 54 gm, 6-10-16 First-rounder: 21st in 2007 With SJ: 17 gm, 1-7-8 The pick: C Riley Nash (by Edm, via subsequent trade) Playoffs: 11 gm, 2-3-5 Next four: LW Max Pacioretty, D Jonathon Blum, C Mikael Backlund, C Re-signed with Sharks Patrick White First-rounder: 22nd in 2007 2006 The pick: LW Max Pacioretty March 9 – Nsh acquires D Brendan Witt from Wsh Next four: D Jonathon Blum, C Mikael Backlund, C Patrick White, LW Record at the time: 37-19-7 | second in Central, fourth in West David Perron Playoff projection: second-round exit Feb. 25 – Atl acquires C from Stl Rest of season: 12-6-1 Record at the time: 31-23-10 | second in Southeast, seventh in East Final record: 49-25-8 | second in Central, fourth in West Playoff projection: first-round exit Playoff outcome: first-round exit, upset by SJ (4-1) Rest of season: 12-5-1 Result: One fewer round Final record: 43-28-11 | first in Southeast, fifth in East Witt Playoff outcome: first=round exit, upset by NYR (4-0) With Wsh: 58 gm, 1-10-11 Result: Same With Nsh: 17 gm, 0-3-3 Tkachuk Playoffs: 5 gm, 0-0-0 With Stl: 61 gm, 20-23-43 Departed, signed with Islanders With Atl: 18 gm, 7-8-15 First-rounder: 23rd in 2006 Playoffs: 4 gm, 1-2-3 The pick: G Semyon Varlamov Departed, signed with Blues Next four: D Dennis Persson, C Patrik Berglund, G Leland Irving, D Ivan First-rounder: 24th in 2007 Vishnevskiy The pick: C Mikael Backlund (by Cgy, via subsequent trade) March 8 – Edm acquires G Dwayne Roloson from Min Next four: C Patrick White, LW David Perron, D Brendan Smith, D Nick Record at the time: 32-21-9 | fourth in Northwest, eighth in West Petrecki Playoff projection: first-round exit Feb. 15 – Nsh acquires C Peter Forsberg from Phi Rest of season: 9-7-4 Record at the time: 39-16-3 | first in Central, first in West, second overall Final record: 41-28-13 | third in Northwest, eighth in West Playoff projection: Stanley Cup final Playoff outcome: Stanley Cup final, lost to Car (4-3) Rest of season: 12-7-5 Result: Three more rounds Final record: 51-23-8 | second in Central, fourth in West Roloson Playoff outcome: first-round exit, upset by SJ (4-1) With Min: 24 gm, 6-17-1, .910 SV percentage Result: Three fewer rounds With Edm: 19 gm, 8-7-4, .905 SV percentage Forsberg Playoffs: 18 gm, 12-5, .927 SV percentage With Phi: 40 gm, 11-29-40 Re-signed with Oilers With Nsh: 17 gm, 2-13-15 First-rounder: 17th in 2006 Playoffs: 5 gm, 2-2-4 The pick: C Trevor Lewis (by LA, via subsequent trade) Next four: RW Chris Stewart, D Mark Mitera, D David Fischer, D Bob Sanguinetti 2004 March 3 – Bos acquires D Sergei Gonchar from Wsh Record at the time: 31-16-20 | third in Northeast, fifth in East Playoff projection: first-round exit Rest of season: 10-3-2 Final record: 41-19-22 | first in Northeast, second in East Playoff outcome: first-round exit, upset by Mtl (4-3) Result: Same Gonchar With Wsh: 56 gm, 7-42-49 With Bos: 15 gm, 4-5-9 Playoffs: 7 gm, 1-4-5 Departed, signed with Penguins First-rounder: 27th in 2004 The pick: D Jeff Schultz Next four: D Mark Fistric, D Mike Green, D Andy Rogers, LW Johannes Salmonsson March 3 – Tor acquires D Brian Leetch from NYR Record at the time: 36-19-12 | second in Northeast, fourth in East Playoff projection: second-round exit Rest of season: 9-5-1 Final record: 45-24-13 | second in Northeast, fourth in East Playoff outcome: second-round exit, lost to Phi (4-2) Result: Same Leetch With NYR: 57 gm, 13-23-36 With Tor: 15 gm, 2-13-15 Playoffs: 13 gm, 0-8-8 Departed, signed with Bruins First-rounder: 24th in 2004 The pick: RW Kris Chucko (by Cgy, via subsequent trade) Next four: C Rob Schremp, G Cory Schneider, D Jeff Schultz, D Mark Fistric Conclusion Andrei Vasilevskiy, Rickard Rakell, Max Pacioretty, Mikael Backlund, John Carlson, Semyon Varlamov … as you can see, there are plenty of good players available late in the first round. Had the deals above not been completed, these are the type of players that can help change the course of a franchise for the better. Given the importance of having your own drafted and developed players on entry-level contracts to integrate into your NHL lineup every season, and the favorable implications that it has on your salary cap, it’s understandable why some GMs are gun shy to pull the trigger on this kind of deal. It could mean adding someone for fewer than 30 games at the expense of someone that could be a fixture in your organization for the next decade or more. That said, there are also those times when that first-rounder ended up being Morgan Klimchuk, Daultan Leveille or Nick Petrecki. In which case, it was a gamble well worth taking, even if you unceremoniously exited in the first or second round. It’s classic risk versus reward and we will find out by Feb. 25, which GMs decide to gamble and throw a first-round pick into the ring in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The Athletic LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130754 Websites 5. Can’t be sure, but there are rumblings Toronto GM Kyle Dubas asked about Kyle Clifford when he was talking to Los Angeles about Muzzin. Dubas knows Clifford from his days working at Uptown, which still Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: All eyes on Senators as trade deadline nears represents the winger. Clifford has a great reputation, and a contract Toronto could fit. Those, of course, are two reasons L.A. is happy to keep him. Elliotte Friedman February 13, 2019 6. The Maple Leafs told potential trade partners they will not move Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin or a first-round pick for a rental.

7. Winnipeg deflected requests for Adam Lowry and Jack Roslovic in its So here we are, 11 days until the deadline. The biggest question: What is search for improvement. Nick Kypreos reported last Saturday the asks Ottawa going to do? may spread to Sami Niku, just returned to AHL Manitoba. But one player the Jets will move — providing it makes sense for him and the team — is Matt Duchene, unrestricted Mark Stone, unrestricted. Ryan Dzingel, Nic Petan. Limited to 13 games, it is time for a fresh start. unrestricted. Cody Ceci, restricted, but one year away from being able to pick any destination. 8. Another player who could get a fresh start is Montreal’s Charles Hudon. The Canadiens have been looking for a mid-round pick in Trade them or sign them? exchange. GM Marc Bergevin is re-shaping his fourth line, which has The best information I can give you as I write this: You are going to hear drawn coach Claude Julien’s ire. both possibilities in each case. My belief is the Senators are going to test 9. Twice during Bob Murray’s playing career, Chicago GM Bob Pulford the market for all of them, while reserving the right to keep any particular stepped behind the bench himself (first when Keith Magnuson resigned player if they can agree on terms. in 1982, and again when Orval Tessier was fired in 1985). Borrowing a The players obviously have a big say in this, and, even though the page from Pulford’s book, Murray makes his NHL coaching debut organization would like to know as soon as possible, the fact is that Wednesday night against Vancouver. This is not about running a bench, deadlines spur action — and the only deadlines now are soft. One of the however. It is about the GM getting an up-close evaluation of his team difficult things about covering this on a daily basis is that feelings change. and his players. One of the most revealing answers from his Sunday While Duchene has been very public with his thoughts, Stone, a more conference call was when the Los Angeles Times’s Helene Elliott asked private person, hasn’t. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t like anyone if he was going to bring up any of the talented prospects from AHL San guessing what he thinks, so you have to be careful. Diego. The safest thing to say is that, at different times, feelings change. A “It’s good for as many (of them) as I can to get a feel of [the NHL] in a player may lean one way, then another. The Senators, wisely, have held positive environment, and that’s what I am worried about the most by the position that if they want to keep someone, they will wait out any bringing them here right now,” Murray answered. “But, if we can get a uncertainty as long as they possibly can. little bit of a positive environment, I will not shy away from… if they deserve it… getting them in for a few games.” To protect themselves, my belief is they are going to look around. But, again, until told they’ve got no chance at keeping people — or they He is going to determine who creates a positive environment and who decide they can’t — they will wait. doesn’t. The betting is that whatever happens this season with 20-year- olds Max Jones, Sam Steel and Troy Terry, they will be in Anaheim for So, let’s check the market. The big-game hunters for rentals (including 2019–20 — with Dallas Eakins. Artemi Panarin) are Calgary, the Islanders, Nashville and Winnipeg for sure. I’ll have more on Boston below, but the Bruins are lurking. 10. Murray added that he told his group, “We have good players, [but] we Columbus is incredibly intriguing, because, if they don’t keep Panarin, just aren’t a good team right now.” That’s true, and it gives him an they will use what they get for him to add. I think Pittsburgh and San Jose advantage if he does want to make moves. The Ducks have players who would be there if they had more assets. Jim Rutherford and Doug Wilson will appeal not just to contenders. Teams who are not going for it in 2019 are fearless, but previous moves prevent this. will be interested in what he chooses to offer. For example, putting Cam Fowler (who does have limited protection) on the market would lead to a Vegas is another interesting one. They did it last year. But does George lengthy lineup, but I’m not convinced that’s where Murray wants to go. McPhee feel strongly enough about his group to do it again? I could also He’s going to get a lot of questions about his blue line. make arguments for Tampa, Toronto and Washington to pull surprise moves. They have the pieces; I just can’t measure the will. 11. When it comes to Jakob Silfverberg, it sounds like the final hurdle is term more than dollars. Things are about to get busier. But, as I’ve been warned, don’t jump to conclusions. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. 1. Why Boston’s Don Sweeney could very well be telling the truth when he says David Pastrnak’s injury won’t change his deadline plans: Initially, 12. Prior to Olli Maatta’s injury, Pittsburgh continued to look at available the Bruins weren’t thrilled with the idea of another Rick Nash-style rental, forwards. because you can’t do that too often. As time passed (they currently sit 13. Vancouver learned a lesson the hard way on Monday night — that, in 17th in goals per game), it sounds like they re-visited the idea, what soon will be a 32-team league, goalies are the most precious of recognizing they need offensive help, even with a healthy Pastrnak. resources. Toronto was surprised to lose both Curtis McElhinney and Maybe they go for someone with term or team control, but they are Calvin Pickard on waivers, but it was a sign of where we are going. There looking to add. Of course, in their first game without the talented winger, simply aren’t enough goalies to go around, so hoarding is becoming a they scored six against Chicago. popular pastime. Carolina kept three for awhile, and Philadelphia is 2. One GM who could change the market over the next few days? juggling them like a circus performer. When Frederik Andersen was Minnesota’s Paul Fenton. His team is still clinging to a playoff spot, but hurting post-Christmas, the Maple Leafs paid the fifth-rounder to get Mikko Koivu is out for the year. Ownership always pushes for the Michael Hutchinson before things got, well, to where they got for the playoffs, but what do the Wild honestly think about their situation? Canucks. And it is going to get even stingier now that each of the Original 30 must expose one netminder for the Seattle expansion draft. 3. A few sources pushed back hard against the idea of Florida trading Jonathan Huberdeau, but a couple warned that the Panthers — looking 14. That’s why the safest prop bet of the year is Jordan Binnington will to free themselves from future obligations — are investigating a lot of play at least 13 more games. If the St. Louis goalie doesn’t reach 27 NHL things that may or may not come to fruition. The more space Florida appearances of at least 30 minutes in 2018–19, he’ll be an unrestricted clears, the closer we get to Columbus mining for phone bills. free agent. Now 10-1-1 with a 1.82 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, he has revived the Blues and potentially saved their 4. I’m wondering if Los Angeles makes a play for Panarin. The Kings season. aren’t interested in a lengthy rebuild, and southern California is believed to be high on the winger’s list of priorities. They could wait until June, but St. Louis took him 88th overall in 2011, their interest sealed when he took the benefit of getting him now is the eighth year. Los Angeles has two OHL Owen Sound to the Memorial Cup as a 17-year-old. Prior to this first-rounders (their own and Toronto’s from the Jake Muzzin trade), and season, he’d appeared in just one NHL game and was passed as the have asked a high price for Tyler Toffoli — but that seems an enticing organization’s “goalie of the future” by Ville Husso. But one man’s injury package. Columbus was in on Ilya Kovalchuk, but he has control over is another man’s opportunity, and Binnington ran with it when Husso was where he goes and the Blue Jackets might not want him for two more unavailable. seasons. Such a move would certainly breathe new life into L.A. 15. St. Louis, now the first wild card with two games in hand on ninth- place Vancouver, was dead last on Jan. 3. By my research (so you know it is sketchy), if the Blues pull this off, they will be the first playoff team to Forsberg is back in a big way, investing in the 4sports hockey agency, overcome that fate this late into a season since the 1996-97 Senators. which features former teammate and current player agent Claude Ottawa was the worst team in the NHL on Jan. 26, 1997. They went 17- Lemieux. 14-6 from that point on, making the post-season for the first time ever. (Chicago also has a shot at this.) 25. Forsberg laughed at the idea of negotiating against Avalanche GM Joe Sakic. Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown “That would be hilarious, actually,” he said. “It would be pretty cool to Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. have (my) first argument with Joe, since we’ve been friends for 20 years. I’m kind of looking forward to seeing how Joe is when he gets mad. I’ve 16. With Ken Hitchcock watching practice from the seats one day and never really seen that. That would be great to watch.” then blasting the Oilers’ effort following Saturday’s 5–2 loss to San Jose, that there were rumours he’d had enough and would step down. That The two men told some great stories, with Lemieux saying there was one obviously didn’t happen, but it underlines how tense things are in game in Washington where he didn’t feel great in warm-up. Forsberg told Edmonton. him not to worry about it, then set up his winger for a hat trick. Giving Cam Talbot three straight starts made it look like he was being Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and showcased to clear cap room, but the Oilers are having difficulty opening fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the space for Andrej Sekera when he is ready to go. country’s most beloved game. 17. When Edmonton gets down to GM interviews, the favourites are Kelly 26. Arizona is so banged up that, as the Coyotes beat Vegas 5-2 on McCrimmon and Mark Hunter. But, there are expected to be other Tuesday night, AHL Tucson could dress only 17 players in a 2–1 conversations. Interim GM Keith Gretzky has history with current Bruins shootout loss to San Jose at the same time. executive director of player personnel John Ferguson, so it would not be 27. Blake Wheeler is on pace for 17 goals and 97 points, which puts him a surprise to see him involved. close to a unique accomplishment. No player has ever totalled 100 points 18. Anthony Stewart, who played 12 pro seasons in exotic locales from with fewer than 20 goals. Four were close: Wayne Gretzky (23 goals and AHL Rochester to KHL Zagreb, is lending his knowledge to Sportsnet. He 102 points, 1995–96), Brian Leetch (22 and 102, 1991–92), Adam Oates says brother Chris, who played the most recent of his 652 NHL games (23 and 102, 1989–90) and Joe Thornton (22 and 114, 2006–07). But last season in Calgary, is in England, getting ready to make a comeback Wheeler’s got a chance to be all alone. for next season. Anthony said Chris had tryout offers with Boston and 28. How important is Dustin Byfuglien to the Jets? When he got hurt on Toronto, but decided to take a pass last fall. Dec. 29, the team’s power-play goal leaders were Patrik Laine (10), Mark 19. On July 1, 2019, the Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to pay $50 Scheifele (7) and Kyle Connor (6). Without that bomb to keep everyone million in signing bonuses, with almost 60 per cent of that to Auston honest, those three combined for just one (Connor) in Byfuglien’s Matthews and John Tavares. I know that drives people insane. But, if I absence. Meanwhile, the second unit caught fire with Jack Roslovic owned a big-money team that contributed to revenue-sharing and scoring five times and Bryan Little twice. (Roslovic’s since been couldn’t take advantage of NBA-style exceptions to the cap, I’d flex my promoted to the top group, with Laine dropped down.) muscles any way I could, too. Since I’m an overwhelmingly positive person, it is only fair to point out 20. Let’s empty the notebook on Matthews negotiations. A couple that Scheifele and Wheeler have not let their power-play struggles affect executives said that one of the conspiracy theories was someone would their five-on-five performance. Both are top 16 in the NHL in even- offer-sheet Matthews for four years at a huge number, knowing Toronto strength points. would match. The problem with that term is it walked the franchise 29. A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned Arizona State goalie Joey cornerstone directly to unrestricted free agency — the thing the Maple Daccord, who looks like a shrewd late-round pick by Ottawa. (He can be Leafs wanted the least. Was it true? Who knows? But it was out there, a free agent this summer.) and the team had to be cognizant of it. As for the upcoming roster choices Toronto must make, the safest comment is that everyone’s play The Sun Devils have built something out of nothing, currently ranked during the rest of the season and playoffs will answer those questions. 12th in the NCAA, and teams are taking notice. Two other free agents William Nylander is catching up to everyone else’s three-month head are being watched by NHL clubs. Phoenix-born Johnny Walker — who start. will be 23 in August — leads the country with 22 goals. He went to Columbus’s development camp last summer. The other is team captain 21. Matthews mentioned in his media conference that a three-year deal Brinson Pasichnuk, a 21-year-old defender from Bonnyville, Alta. He’s was on the table. That term was tossed aside because it was too much of second in team scoring behind Walker and attended development camps a risk for the player. For that reason, the AAV on that term would be with Arizona, Minnesota and Montreal. higher than you’d think. 30. Does anyone else in the Eastern time zone miss that post-All-Star 22. If his contract does have the expected effect on second contracts for Western Conference break where we all got to sleep at a decent hour? other players, a few execs believe it could have a squeeze on salary arbitration and qualifying offers. Teams do have the ability to “walk away” 31. I prefer this blog to be a politics-free zone, but there are times you from an arbitration decision if a) it was the player’s choice to go through have to stand for something. Last week was very difficult for autism the process, and b) the award is higher than a certain threshold (set at families in Ontario. The changes are being spun as a good thing, but they $4,222,941 in 2018). aren’t. Wait times are going to be eliminated — which should be positive — but the trade-off is a slash in funding amounts, crushing those who 23. Just wanted to clear up one note from last week’s blog: I referred to legitimately need help to purchase the necessary therapy. People are Sidney Crosby’s percentage of the cap as 15.3 per cent for his five-year, being labelled as professional protestors, but they aren’t. (Seriously, that $8.7-million AAV second contract, and several people pointed out it was accusation is embarrassing.) They are parents worried about the futures 17.3. What I should have clarified was that, with the benefit of history, I of their children, young boys and girls who can succeed with the proper applied it to the first season that deal took effect, as opposed to the year teaching. The problem, as I see it, is that recommendations from parents he actually signed it. The official date of the extension was July 7, 2007 and professionals are ignored; experts in the field aren’t consulted at all. — with a $50.3-million ceiling, so 17.3 per cent. His first year under the There’s no question that this is a complex problem, but the architects of new deal was 2008-09 — with a $56.7-million limit, so 15.3 per cent. the plan could use better intel. The challenge of navigating the spectrum Connor McDavid’s percentage was 16.7 when he signed, 15.7 when it toughens your skin. These families will not give up their fight. took effect. Matthews’s numbers are 14.6 and 14 (presuming the cap is Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 at the projected $83 million for 2019–20). The percentage at signing is relevant, because agents use that as a comparison for franchise players. 24. There was a time, Peter Forsberg admitted, that he couldn’t watch hockey. “I was struggling at the end of my career,” he said this week on the 31 Thoughts podcast. “It was back and forth, injuries here and there. And I just wanted to be… not that close anymore. I was watching more soccer, football and other sports. But after a while, I started watching it more and more, and I really enjoy watching it from the side now. Before maybe it was because I wanted to be on the ice, and I couldn’t be there. Nowadays, I’ve got the perspective that I’m just way too old… so I think it is more relaxing to sit and watch.” 1130755 Websites and Chad Johnson are injured and Ryan Miller is just back from missing two months with a sprained knee.

Even making his first start after just one 40-minute relief appearance in Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Markstrom solid in return from injury scare the NHL, Boyle’s experience and polish put him far ahead of DiPietro, the 19-year-old who was thrown to the Sharks. Iain MacIntyre | February 14, 2019, 2:33 AM His best saves were glove stops against Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser late in the second period, and one-on-one against Josh Leivo during a third-period power play. The Canucks were 0-for-4 with the man advantage. ANAHEIM, Calif. – Another game, another goaltending crisis involving the Vancouver Canucks. Remarkably, this one wasn’t so bad for the “It’s a production-based league,” Canucks point man Troy Stecher said. Anaheim Ducks. “We need results. We had some looks. I don’t think we’re mad with how we performed on the power play. It just sucks sometimes when you’re One game after junior call-up Mike DiPietro was forced by injuries to start not getting results.” for the Canucks and got ventilated in his National Hockey League debut, Vancouver was unable to get even a single puck past Kevin Boyle as the Possibly as costly as the loss, the Canucks also played the last 15 Anaheim Ducks’ fourth-string goalie won his first NHL start 1-0 on minutes without key defenceman Chris Tanev, who limped off the ice Wednesday. after Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf appeared to fall on his leg behind the play. Vancouver is already without top defenceman Alex Edler due to a Jacob Markstrom, whose unexpected “tightness” prevented him from concussion. playing Monday’s 7-2 debacle against the San Jose Sharks, was back in net for Vancouver and looked good. But he wasn’t quite as impenetrable Getzlaf also injured Jake Virtanen in the first period, when he blindsided as Boyle as the Canucks fell to 1-4-1 in their last six games and failed to the Canucks winger away from the puck in the neutral zone after take anything off a Ducks team that had lost seven in a row. Virtanen knocked Anaheim forward Corey Perry off the puck. Getzlaf was assessed a minor penalty for interference and Virtanen returned to the “It felt good today,” Markstrom, who has been brilliant the last two game in the second period. months, told reporters. “It was nice to be back. I haven’t played in four days. It was nice to be out there and those four days were huge for me to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 kind of get my body back in game shape again.” Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 and more. We’ll find out Thursday if Markstrom’s shape is good enough for him to play twice in 24 hours when the Canucks visit the Los Angeles Kings. The idea of sitting him out Monday, which forced DiPietro to start during his emergency call-up from junior, was based on the hope that Markstrom would be well enough to play the Canucks’ three-game road trip in California. “We talked, and it was either (miss) that game or back-to-back here,” Markstrom said, unequivocally denying he had back spasms as was reported. “And if I sit out the game in San Jose, I get four days to kind of get back to where I want to be to play and that’s the decision we made. “We’re trying to figure out everything tomorrow.” If Markstrom can’t play, new backup Marek Mazanec will make his Canucks debut. Vancouver acquired the minor-leaguer on Tuesday from the New York Rangers. DiPietro was returned to the Ottawa 67’s on Wednesday. The Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg scored the game’s only goal at 6:30 of the first period on a couple of accidental assists from Canucks forward Bo Horvat. To collect a loose puck, Horvat skated across Markstrom and knocked the paddle from the goalie’s hand. After Horvat turned over the puck as he headed up ice, Markstrom was still stick-less when Devin Shore centred to Silfverberg, whose close-range shot rattled through the goalie on his blocker side. It was as much bad luck as bad play, but at least the Canucks still had 53 minutes to get the game back. “I’ll take blame for that one,” Horvat said. “I should have got the puck out. It went of the shaft of his stick and they kept it in. It’s tough when you’re left without a stick as a goaltender, and I blame myself on that one. “I thought we played a pretty good game tonight. We got lots of shots, lots of opportunities to score but we didn’t find it a way to get it done.” Would Markstrom have made the save had he possessed a stick? “We’re never going to find that out for sure,” he said. “Obviously it helps when you have a stick. I was using my hand to locate my post and it took my blocker a little bit out of position.” Boyle was never out of position. He stopped all 35 Canucks shots as the Ducks were outplayed and outshot (35-21) in the first game since general manager Bob Murray fired coach Randy Carlyle and went behind the Anaheim bench. The 26-year-old Boyle, undrafted out of college and having spent the last 2 ½ seasons in the minors, got his first NHL start because John Gibson 1130756 Websites He’s always preferred to see symmetry between his lefties and righties and currently has five left-shot options spread across three pairings. Under the new configuration, Travis Dermott has shifted over to the right Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs juggle defensive pairings despite winning beside Jake Gardiner while Muzzin skates with Nikita Zaitsev. ways Even though arranging the puzzle pieces remains a “work in progress” — a phrase Babcock used after the victory in Colorado — he’s felt more at ease with his blue line since Muzzin arrived from Los Angeles in a deal Chris Johnston |February 13, 2019 for a first-round pick and prospects Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi. “Oh yeah, for sure,” said Babcock. “Every day he’s going to walk in there, he’s going to be the same size and he’s going to still have two Cups and LAS VEGAS — When Mike Babcock has made up his mind about he’s going to know what winning’s all about and how to play. Whether it something, there is next to nothing that will get in the way of the man and goes good for him that day or bad for him, he’s a veteran player, he what he wants. knows how to just bounce back and play the next shift, the next game, knows how to play in the big moments.” Take his decision to throw the Toronto Maple Leafs defence pairings into the salt shaker. That was made Jan. 31 on a cold, grey afternoon in There certainly didn’t seem to be any confusion among the players about suburban Detroit even though it only took hold amid a continent-spanning why the changes were made. Rielly indicated that there was ongoing road trip this week. dialogue with the coaching staff about the possibility of it happening and, after having a lot of difficulty executing controlled breakouts against the Babcock never liked the idea of shifting Morgan Rielly away from his Avalanche early, the shoe finally dropped. strong side, but allowed for it briefly following the addition of Jake Muzzin, another lefty with top-pairing bonafides. He was happy to be reunited with Hainsey, too. It was, at best, a temporary solution. “I love being with Ronny,” said Rielly. “Ronny’s a great guy, he’s a leader, we have a good relationship, we talk a lot. He’s just one of those guys It ended after 20 minutes of Tuesday’s game in Denver, one the Leafs that you can really rely on.” won 5-2. They are now 5-1-1 since Muzzin’s arrival, but the coach isn’t afraid to change a winning lineup. He’s going forward with three different That sounds like music to a coach’s ears. pairings for one reason and one reason alone. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 “I saw Morgan Rielly on the left side,” Babcock said Wednesday after practice at T-Mobile Arena. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. Rielly has actually been reunited with a familiar face in Ron Hainsey, the veteran he’s played slightly more than 75 per cent of his even-strength minutes with since the start of last season. They are the odd couple, Rielly with his daring offensive instincts and Hainsey with his stay-at- home sensibilities, a skillset Babcock often describes as “knowing where to stand.” But there is trust and comfort in that top pairing, for everyone involved. Where once Rielly had been so enthused about the prospect of shifting sides to accommodate Muzzin — saying “I’ve played [on the right] before. It’s the same game, it’s just being on the other side,” after their first practice together — he now concedes that there’s some relief in going back to the left. “It’s nice, it’s nice,” he said. “That’s where you’re most comfortable, that’s where you want to be. But that being said, we have a group that we’re willing to move around if we have to and make everyone more comfortable. I think I speak for most defencemen, you’re more comfortable on your natural side. “That’s just the way it is.” The Muzzin-Rielly experiment, it must be said, was far from a disaster. They controlled 51.31 per cent of even-strength scoring chances over 82 minutes together and helped Toronto outscore opponents 6-4. But Babcock never saw much point in putting his No. 1 defenceman in a difficult position, especially during a season where Rielly has really taken flight and drawn Norris Trophy buzz. In his eyes, it was like choosing to weaken yourself. Following that Jan. 31 practice, when Muzzin first joined the Leafs coming out of their all-star break and bye week, the coach provided a roadmap for how this would go. He spoke of getting Muzzin comfortable in his new surroundings before shuffling the deck again and getting Rielly back on the left side. “There was a guy, I think he won seven Norrises, his name was Nick [Lidstrom] and he always would say to me ‘Why wouldn’t you put the guy who makes all the plays on his forehand?”’ Babcock said then. “It’s a great question.” Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. An unspoken aspect in all of this is an organizational desire to find another right-shot option that can be dropped directly into the top six before the Feb. 25 trade deadline. It may not be possible — not at a price general manager Kyle Dubas is comfortable paying — but it would certainly please Babcock. 1130757 Websites been quite strong with decent underlying numbers compared to the rest of the roster. But one of the big reasons why Anaheim had been able to weather the decline of Perry and Kesler before now is Ryan Getzlaf. Sportsnet.ca / How have the Anaheim Ducks so quickly become a Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and disaster? fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. Andrew Berkshire February 13, 2019 Getzlaf has been one of the best centres in the NHL nearly his entire career, maintaining his spot as a dominant player in all three zones despite a lack of foot speed, history of injuries, and age presumably wearing down on him. Coming into this season I had him ranked as the As one long losing streak ended in mid-January, another has now ninth-most impactful centre in the league based on his past three stretched on seven games for the Anaheim Ducks, who have just two seasons of play, but in 2018-19 he just hasn’t been able to drag the wins in their past 21 games and only managed to push four of those Ducks’ play forward enough while he’s on the ice. losses to overtime. In less than two months the Ducks have gone from ninth place in the NHL standings and fifth in the Western Conference, to The crazy thing is Getzlaf’s individual contributions are still the greatest 28th overall and last in the West. on this team by a wide margin. He leads the team with 20.3 transition plays per 20 minutes to drive the puck up the ice, he’s involved in the Despite John Gibson’s incredible play in the first three months of the most scoring chances per 20 minutes at 6.88, but his high danger scoring season, this kind of collapse had looked inevitable from the outset. The chance differential is just 37 per cent, which barely moves the needle Ducks are the only team in several seasons to control fewer than 40 per from the team’s 36 per cent when he’s off the ice. cent of the high danger scoring chances at 5-on-5, and their share of shots and shot attempts isn’t much better. While Kesler looks close to done after several major injuries, Perry seems to be alright, and Getzlaf’s individual play remains superb, so I Although they were a playoff team last season, for the past few years don’t think the aging argument really holds much water here. Anaheim was at the top of a lot of statistically inclined analysts’ list of clubs due to fall off big time. But, the Ducks managed to fight through a Carlyle’s particular style wasn’t helping, but GM Bob Murray has to take slew of injuries to make it in last season, only to be embarrassed by the some responsibility for assembling one of the most lackluster groups of San Jose Sharks in a four-game sweep that saw Anaheim get outscored forwards in the league. 16-4. As dire as this situation looks right now, if Getzlaf continues to be his This season, Anaheim’s core was a year older, suffered injuries at the ageless self and the Ducks can find a coach able to take advantage of start of the schedule just like last year, but the play on the ice was and their strong collection of defencemen, the only real albatross is Kesler’s has been much, much worse. In fact, there’s been a gradual decline contract. The Ducks may be the worst even strength team in the league that’s led us to the point we’re at now, in every metric for which we use this year, but they don’t have to be again next season. differentials. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 Looking at the past three seasons together, I’ve split the differentials up to see where the changes are. In both this season and last the Ducks have produced less offence than the season before, but the bigger change is in their defensive play, where the Ducks were generally very strong. In the first two seasons under Randy Carlyle, Anaheim was a low event team at 5-on-5, but boasted some of the best defensive numbers in the league. That can be obscured a little bit by the NHL’s offence increasing overall at 5-on-5 over the past few seasons. One of the reasons I was a little gun shy on anointing Gibson as the next big thing was that, under both Bruce Boudreau and Carlyle, the Ducks have been a top-three team in limiting quality shots against until this season. And, under Carlyle, they also conceded a ton of perimeter shots, which makes for a perfect high save percentage scenario for any decent goaltender. That all radically changed this season. The Ducks have conceded the second-most high danger chances in the league, and the 10th-most passes to the slot, which made Gibson’s job several degrees more difficult than before. And though he was brilliant for a long time, his .891 save percentage over his past 17 starts has brought him back down to earth. He still has excellent numbers for the shots he’s facing, but he’s no longer the runaway favourite for the Vezina. Aside from their drop in defensive play, the Ducks are also creating the fewest high danger scoring chances in the league, which makes this unmitigated disaster of a two-month period make a lot of sense. So what exactly happened here? A good team with a seemingly strong core went from Stanley Cup contender to league-worst at 5-on-5 over a three-year period. That’s a pretty sharp decline when you consider the players the Ducks have graduated and seen establish themselves over that time: Brandon Montour, Josh Manson, Rickard Rakell, Ondrej Kase, and Gibson among them. Injuries certainly haven’t helped, and it’s worth noting they have an ageing core group of forwards in Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler. But the Ducks also have a star goaltender in his prime, four prime-aged defencemen between 24 and 27 who are all high quality players at the position, and at least one high-end forward in his prime with Rakell. That should be enough to build around, but the aging and expensive contracts the Ducks are saddled with at forward have combined with a general inability to fill the lineup with affordable, play-driving forwards to seemingly bury the team. Injuries to Perry and Kase are undoubtedly huge for this year’s edition of the Ducks, and despite a lack of production, Perry’s return has actually 1130758 Websites with eight goals total over that stretch, including the game-winner Tuesday against the Rangers.

The Jets have great goaltending, high-end skill and depth. If just one of Sportsnet.ca / Winnipeg Jets Notebook: Can trade deadline move spark those facets is going on a given night the Jets typically have a chance at Patrik Laine? winning that game. If two are working, they usually win. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 Sean Reynolds February 13, 2019

Coming off their worst week of the season the Winnipeg Jets have returned to a familiar brand of hockey: tight, grinding games consistently pull out in the third period. The Jets had two of those, outdoing both the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers in the final frame to stack two straight wins. Those wins put an end to the Jets’ season-long three-game losing streak and turned what fans were treating as a doomsday scenario into a second place standing in the league. This goes to show you two things: 1. I don’t know if it was the unexpected loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs last season, or the fact Winnipeg has never made it over the top in the modern NHL era, but many of the people in this city are prone to overreaction when the Jets show the slightest weakness. I had more than one person tell me they thought the Jets were prime for a first- round exit. I get that they lost to the last place Ottawa Senators on the weekend, but their overall consistency this season should earn the Jets some breathing room in the faith department. 2. Consistency is a double-edged sword. Outside the recent three-game losing streak the Jets have lost back-to-back games just three times this season. When you simply don’t pile up losses, losing back-to-back-to- back games can feel like a much bigger deal than it is. Know this Jets fans: about 29 other teams in the league would love to have these so- called “struggles.” A way out of the dark There may not be anyone on this Jets team more open to a possible trade deadline deal than Patrik Laine. The young Finn continues to struggle with just two goals in his past 24 games. You would think any move the Jets make would be aimed at sparking the young sniper. Last season Laine was playing good hockey when the Jets were heading into the trade deadline and the move to bring in Paul Stastny didn’t interrupt that. In fact the two found instant chemistry as Laine put up points in each of the 10 games that followed the trade, racking up 12 goals and five assists for 17 points in that time. Making a move with similar impact this season would be like pulling off a two-for-one deal on star players if it snapped Laine back into action. The Jets didn’t have the benefit of their young sniper’s high-end production in the playoffs last season when he scored five goals in 17 games. Awaken that sleeping giant and this team will be quite the handful. Power-less With Laine’s stick running cold he was recently moved off the top power play unit, and it’s been no better without him. Jack Roslovic scored a hat trick on Feb. 2, with all of them coming on the power play. This prompted head coach Paul Maurice to promote Roslovic into Laine’s spot on the top power play unit. Since then, the Jets’ first unit has gone five games without a power play goal. Maybe worse has been the side effect of stopping what was a red- hot secondary power play in its tracks. That’s significant. For more than two months now the Jets’ second power play unit has been the more productive and far more efficient of the two. They’ve outscored the top unit since early December and have done so with far less ice time. At last check Maurice wanted to see more of his new-look units before making further changes, although he clearly didn’t want to talk about his team’s performance with the man advantage following their win over the Rangers. Winning buys time, but how long can Maurice maintain the status quo if production remains stalled? Finding ways With so much of the Jets’ early success rooted in the power play it’s been interesting to see how they’ve succeeded now that it’s slowed. One factor has been the play of the fourth line. Maurice has raved about the job Andrew Copp has done since he moved down the lineup to centre that line. It’s worked. The unit has scored in six of its past seven games 1130759 Websites 11. Arthur Kaliyev, RW, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL), 6-foot-2, 190 pounds: Masterful performance at the Top Prospects Game, and while it’s only one game, he showed just how good he can be when he’s at his best. Sportsnet.ca / Sportsnet’s 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: February 12. Alex Newhook, C, Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) 5-foot-11, 190 pounds: Absolute dominance in the BCHL, for the second straight season. Just five of his 34 goals have come on the power play, making him a force at Sam Cosentino February 13, 2019, 12:07 PM even strength. 13. Raphael Lavoie, C/RW, (QMJHL) 6-foot-4, 198 pounds: One of the biggest enigmas in this draft class, his matter-of-fact Since our last rankings, and aside from regular season play, a few more attitude is displayed on and off the ice. It always comes back to skill and events have taken place as we continue to build towards the June draft in he has a lot of that to offer. Vancouver. The CHL and CJHL presented their top prospects in showcase games, while Russia hosted the U18 Five Nations 14. Philip Broberg, D, AIK (Allsvenskan), 6-foot-3, 203 pounds: Currently Tournament. too good to play in the U20 Swedish League, but not quite there to have an impact in the Allsvenskan. Despite being unable to play in the U18 Five Nations due to injury, Jack Hughes still remains the top prospect in this draft class. The 15. Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL), 6-foot-3, 188 conversation, however, is not as one-sided as it once was. Kaapo Kakko pounds: Continues to climb the charts due to his elite skating and puck- continues to make his case to overtake Hughes, and Kakko’s world junior handling abilities. You’d much rather coach the wildness out of his game play exhibited how dominant he can be against peers. He’s taken that than have to encourage more of it. same game back to the Liiga in Finland where he continues to play big minutes as a producer for his club. 16. Brett Leason, RW, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 6-foot-4, 198 pounds: Consistently in good position to produce points, yet his The USNTDP continues to dominate the conversation when it comes to a detractors will point to his slower feet as a reason for concern. record-setting number of projected first-round picks. This month’s list of projected first-rounders includes eight USNTDP players with others 17. Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie Colts (OHL), 6-foot, 178 pounds: Being knocking on the door. overtaken as the top draft eligible prospect from the OHL has inspired him to some solid recent viewings by scouts. There are some other moving parts that may have an impact on the first round. In Anaheim, Bob Murray will be taken away from scouting now 18. Jakob Pelletier, LW, Wildcats (QMJHL), 5-foot-9, 161 that he’s going behind the Ducks’ bench. Murray is normally well-traveled pounds: Scouts always ask themselves: does this player drive the play? during the regular season, checking in on prospects worldwide. He’ll With Pelletier the answer is always a resounding yes. have to lean heavily on his scouting staff moving forward. Meantime in 19. Cole Caufield, RW, USNTDP, 5-foot-7, 157 pounds: Has taken goal Edmonton, Keith Gretzky now has the power to run the draft, but we scoring to another level since the start of the calendar year. In all, he has shouldn’t expect too much of a change in philosophy because Gretzky 47 goals in 57 games. and ex-GM Peter Chiarelli worked together for long stints in Boston before they re-united in Edmonton. 20. Victor Soderstrom, D, Brynas (SHL), 5-foot-11, 176 pounds: Missed the U18 Five Nations event because he’s getting 16:25 of average ice One other date to keep an eye on is February 25, NHL Trade Deadline time playing in Sweden’s SHL. Day. The 2018 extravaganza saw five first-round picks change hands and those picks can definitely alter the landscape. 21. Spencer Knight, G, USNTDP, 6-foot-3, 198 pounds: Like Jake Oettinger in 2017, there’s so much to like about this goalie that someone Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and will jump on him. Could be aggressively pursued much earlier than this fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the ranking. country’s most beloved game. 22. Connor McMichael, C, London Knights (OHL), 6-foot, 170 pounds: 1. Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP, 5-foot-10, 168 pounds: There are some On the typical London path to success in a manner similar to Liam Foudy concerns over injuries that limited him in the WJC and forced him out of last season. the U18 Five Nations. Top spot is still his to lose. 23. Cam York, D, USNTDP, 5-foot-11, 172 pounds: Benefits from 2. Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Liiga), 6-foot-2, 194 pounds: Still the de facto practicing against an amazing group of high-end forwards, which has No. 2, but the conversation will continue to open up as we move towards accelerated his development. Strong showing at the U18 Five Nations. June. 24. Moritz Seider, D, Adler Mannheim (DEL) 6-foot-4, 198 pounds: Has 3. Vasily Podkolzin, RW, St. Petersburg (MHL), 6-foot-1, 190 gained a lot of traction amongst scouts for his solid play against men, pounds: He struggles in the strength department, but from a game and how he asserts himself when against his peers. perspective there aren’t any holes. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts 4. Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), 6-foot-3, 185 pounds: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. Point production has tailed off considerably over the past month, but the most important hockey of his career lies ahead with a loaded Lethbridge 25. Egor Afanasayev, LW, Muskegon (USHL) 6-foot-4, 201 pounds: Big team all-in for a WHL title. body, loaded with skill, but there are concerns about his feet. 5. Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay Ice (WHL) 5-foot-11, 180 pounds: He 26. Nolan Foote, LW, (WHL) 6-foot-3, 187 pounds: impresses enough with his play, but when looking for character he’s plus- Scouts are looking for consistency in areas other than goal scoring. plus. Think Ty Dellandrea. Blueprint game was Nov. 5 as a member of Team WHL versus Russia, where he didn’t record a point. 6. Bowen Byram, D, (WHL) 6-foot-1, 194 pounds: Not that he doesn’t deserve top billing, but a premium on defencemen this 27. Lassi Thomson, D, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 6-foot, 187 pounds: His year has elevated his stock. game exhibits all four seasons, but he’s an especially amazing skater with a bomb for a shot and has pro passing ability. 7. Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 6-foot-3, 195 pounds: Right shot centre with a pro frame could benefit from being more selfish in his 28. Matthew Robertson, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) 6-foot-4, 201 play. pounds: In and out of the lineup with injuries hasn’t allowed him to hit his stride. 8. Matthew Boldy, LW, USNTDP, 6-foot-1, 187 pounds: Super skilled, not quite at his best at the U18 Five Nations, but he’s built a solid resume all 29. Philip Tomasino, RW, Niagara IceDogs (OHL), 6-foot, 181 pounds: season long based on an amazing set of mitts. Good speed, excellent hands and goal-scoring ability. Playoffs will provide essential viewings. 9. Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP, 5-foot-11, 194 pounds: Strong showing at the U18 Five Nations event has him on pace to be a top 10 pick. Exhibits 30. Alex Vlasic, D, USNTDP, 6-foot-6, 192 pounds: Projects as a a solid two-way game. franchise anchor, not necessarily as a top-pairing defender, but one who will play a long time in a top-four role. 10. Trevor Zegras, C, USNTDP, 6-foot, 166 pounds: His skill is comparable to Hughes, but the skating is not quite as dynamic. Thrived 31. Ville Heinola, D, Lukko (Liiga), 5-foot-11, 176 pounds: Just back from at the U18 Five Nations without Hughes in the lineup. WJC injury. Will look a little like the Henri Jokiharju pick made by Chicago in 2017. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130760 Websites 8. Montreal Canadiens Creative buyer. Marc Bergevin has already added to the bottom half of his forward lineup in recent days, picking up Nate Thompson and Dale Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: Who's Selling? Who's Buying? Weise. He went public weeks ago with a plan to keep his first-round pick, Edition but the Habs have only gotten better since then. Montreal is blessed with a rare commodity — cap space, a projected $8.8 million of it. Bergevin could take on a bad contract (see: Mason, Steve) if it’s packaged with a Luke Fox | February 13, 2019, 8:15 AM useful player (see: Armia, Joel). 9. Washington Capitals The odds-makers have set the over/under on NHL trade deadline moves Modest buyer. We imagine Brian MacLellan allowing himself to be outbid at 19.5. for the big fish on the market, but if you have a chance to win back-to- back Cups, you give your group a boost. Expect the Caps to improve the As we race toward 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 25, trade possibilities dominate all fringes, but anything above a third-line upgrade should be considered a hockey discussion. And while a few bubble teams may still be on the splash. fence when it comes to a deadline strategy, their sample size is large enough that they should know if they’re legit. 10. Nashville Predators In our NHL Power Rankings: Who’s Buying? Who’s Selling? Edition, we David Poile hopped out the gates early by adding depth forwards Brian look at each of the 31 clubs and slot where they fit in the market. Boyle and Cody McLeod. No way is he happy with his power play or the offence generated by his forwards, which is probably why Kypreos As always, team are ranked according to their current awesomeness. reported that prized prospect Eeli Tolvanen’s name is out there. The write-ups explain why we see them as buyers, sellers or passive Tolvanen would fetch a difference-maker in return. observers. 11. Columbus Blue Jackets With 6 grams of delicious, crunchy, energy-giving protein, there’s nothing you and almonds can’t do. Visit Almonds.com for more ways to slay your Wheeler dealer. Assuming Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who day. now share an agent, are gonezo, Jarmo Kekalainen is said to be contemplating a complicated move (or series of moves) in which he could 1. Tampa Bay Lightning flip one or both of his UFA-bound superstars and acquire some legitimate help for the playoffs. Centre ice and, if Bob is moved, goaltending must Modest buyer. Tampa has reportedly inquired about the two physical take priority. wingers on the market — Wayne Simmonds and Micheal Ferland — and would be happy to add a right shot to its blue line. A top contender with 12. Pittsburgh Penguins the most balanced roster in the NHL, the Lightning would be fine to stay pat or just tweak the fringes. Any serious buying may require moving a Window shopping. The kind of guy who has all his Christmas presents prospect because Tampa’s 2019 first- or second-rounder is already wrapped by Halloween, GM Jim Rutherford said publicly that he thinks earmarked for the Rangers. he’s done dealing after bringing in Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann from Florida. A healthy Justin Schultz won’t cost a thing, and the Penguins are 2. San Jose Sharks so thin on draft picks (no second, third or sixth), they’re unlikely to go for a big rental. Modest buyer. Doug Wilson should be chuffed with a group that has won seven straight and, on Monday, leaped over Calgary to move into first in 13. Vegas Golden Knights the Pacific. A healthy Erik Karlsson will be the big add this month, although we’re sure Wilson will poke around for another forward. Buyer. George McPhee has extra draft picks burning holes in his pockets and an owner who wants not only a Cup but a dynasty. The Golden 3. Calgary Flames Knights should be in the mix for the top-end forward talent available. Buyer. Brad Treliving works the phones like a telemarketer, and the 14. St. Louis Blues Flames have a legitimate shot at making a run. One more forward? A third-pairing defenceman perhaps? What we’re most curious about is the Wait and see. Winners of six in a row, the Blues are giving GM Doug goaltending situation. Does Calgary really trust David Rittich to carry the Armstrong pause. St. Louis is playing like it wants to be the playoff team city through a deep run? we all expected it would be way back in October. We can’t see the Blues spending in the rental market (they don’t own a first-round pick), and 4. New York Islanders Armstrong’s track record shows a willingness to part with UFAs when on the bubble (Patrick Maroon, Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson). But Trader upgrader… we’re guessing. Lou Lamoriello’s lips are sealed like the type of earth-shaking deal that had us salivating around Christmas the Ark of the Covenant, but the GM has to reward a group that has (Vladimir Tarasenko? Alex Pietrangelo?) now seems unlikely. rocked the Metropolitan, doesn’t he? While his lack of a 2019 third- or fourth-round pick gives us reason to think he’d be hesitant to let go of a 15. Dallas Stars first or second as well, the Islanders should be in the mix for the high-end forwards that become available. Buyer. If the Stars don’t make the playoffs, Jim Nill will be on the hot seat. His team needs goals, so he’ll be hunting. This is the type of team 5. Winnipeg Jets we can see putting a first-rounder in play. Buyer. It’s time. Kevin Cheveldayoff, who must be pleased with his rental 16. Carolina Hurricanes of Paul Stastny last February, has a window here before the cap tightens. Guaranteed, he’ll be in on Mark Stone (Winnipeg native!) and/or Matt Dealer. The Hurricanes have pieces in demand (Ferland being No. 1), Duchene. Kevin Hayes would be a wise backup plan. Sportsnet’s Nick but Carolina’s improved play could make them consider adding as well. Kypreos reports that elite defence prospect Sami Niku might be in play — Don Waddell has an extra second-round pick and all the cap space in the that’s aggressive. world, and ever since Tom Dundon took over, bold moves are the order of the day. If you’re looking for a hockey deal, this might be the spot. 6. Toronto Maple Leafs 17. Buffalo Sabres Buyer. Kyle Dubas’s big move — and a fine one — was grabbing Jake Muzzin from L.A. The rookie GM no longer has a first-rounder to spend, Quiet observer. Jason Botterill is a smart man, smart enough to know his but the smoke around a potential Leafs-Hurricanes deal isn’t dispersing. group — while on the come up — should not be a buyer. To put UFA Jeff Toronto absolutely wants a right-shot defenceman (Nikita Zaitsev is the Skinner on the market, however, would rankle a dressing room that is only one in the lineup), preferably one with some term. Brett Pesce fits finally on the right track. Botterill will try to re-sign Skinner without giving that bill. So does Chris Tanev. Like the rest of the world, expect Dubas to him a hard Feb. 25 deadline. kick tires on Simmonds and Ferland. 18. Philadelphia Flyers 7. Boston Bruins Seller… right? The Flyers’ sudden shift in direction (eight wins in 10 Buyer. The best line in hockey would love some more support, so GM games) has them flirting with a wild-card spot, but in these eyes, buying Don Sweeney will go shopping for any rental who can score on his now would amount to fool’s gold. Betting 100 bucks Simmonds is dealt second line. The question is this: Will the overpay for Rick Nash at this as new GM Chuck Fletcher starts planning for 2019-20 and beyond. time last year give the GM pause before he spends his first-round pick? 19. Chicago Blackhawks Fringe player. The Blackhawks don’t have the type of high-demand rental Seller. The gong show in Anaheim has reached the point where the pieces (Marcus Kruger, Cam Ward or Chris Kunitz, anyone?) to rile up general manager is going behind the bench and into the room so he can the market, and now that they’re one of the NHL’s hottest clubs, we can’t figure out who and how many to trade. Jakob Silfverberg is the one see Stan Bowman rushing into core surgery (Duncan Keith, Brent whose fate needs to be determined in under two weeks. The others could Seabrook) in the next 10 days. be off-season projects. 20. Minnesota Wild Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 Seller. Look: The Wild already got rid of 26-year-old Nino Neiddereiter, and with captain Mikko Koivu done for the season, this middle-of-the- road club isn’t scaring anyone. Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle should be dangled as trade bait. 21. New York Rangers Blatant seller. There was no mistaking New York’s plan this season. Jeff Gorton’s eyes are affixed miles down the road, so expect him to get the best package of picks and prospects possible for nice rental pieces Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid. Unlike the situation in Ottawa, Gorton is not even engaging in serious extension talks with his UFAs. 22. Vancouver Canucks Should-be seller. As tempting as the playoff race may be, Vancouver should remind itself that it has a negative-17 goal differential and has lost seven more games than it’s won. Defencemen Alex Edler, Erik Gudbranson and Chris Tanev would all have interested buyers. Consider it, Mr. Benning. 23. Florida Panthers Flipper. GM Dale Tallon hasn’t been shy about his designs on spending July 1, so why not trade the recently acquired Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan for whatever he can get? 24. Arizona Coyotes Cautious buyer. Guiding a little engine that could, John Chayka has an outside shot of sneaking into the playoffs despite navigating through some tough injuries and bad-looking trades (Max Domi and Dylan Strome have flourished in their new surroundings). If he can give his overachieving bunch a boost, he’ll consider it. Chayka is not shy to make moves. 25. Colorado Avalanche Quiet observer. The Avalanche has failed to build upon its breakout 2017-18 campaign and thus should embrace the lottery and all those chances for Jack Hughes. Unless Colorado can add a meaningful forward with term by moving, say, defencemen Tyson Barrie or Nikita Zadorov, we don’t expect much here beyond minor tinkering. Joe Sakic will keep his picks and prospects. 26. Edmonton Oilers Modest seller. As badly as they want to be buyers, they don’t have a roster worthy of a boost and they don’t have a real GM in place to pull off an over-the-top deal. If Edmonton can find a home for showcase UFA Cam Talbot (Calgary? Columbus?), maybe Keith Gretzky pulls the trigger. 27. New Jersey Devils Seller. Ray Shero already recouped Nashville’s second-rounder for Brian Boyle. We could see playoff teams wanting to borrow Marcus Johansson and Ben Lovejoy as well. 28. Los Angeles Kings Seller. Rob Blake has begun the tough business of stripping away guys with rings in exchange for guys with dreams. Anyone who wants to pay way too much salary for way too many years for Ilya Kovalchuk, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Dion Phaneuf, Jonathan Quick or Dustin Brown should pick up the telephone. 29. Detroit Red Wings Seller. Versatile wingers Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek could help Ken Holland stock his cupboards, while moving mainstays Niklas Kronwall and Jimmy Howard is less likely. Defenceman Nick Jensen is quietly having a nice year, but he could be re-signed. 30. Ottawa Senators Market-setting seller. Pending UFA Ryan Dzingel, 26, is on pace for a 32-goal campaign, and no one is talking about him. That’s how deep Ottawa’s potential trade deadline shakeup goes. In Matt Duchene and Mark Stone, the Senators have a piece that could push a contender into a champion. 31. Anaheim Ducks 1130761 Websites Canadiens coach Claude Julien hopes his team likes Weber enough to go out and win for him in the milestone match.

“Hopefully they’ll leave it all out there on the ice and make sure it’s a Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' Shea Weber feeling more at home in Montreal game to remember,” says Julien. No matter what time it is, Weber has the undivided attention of his Eric Engels February 13, 2019 teammates. Gallagher says Weber has a presence where when he speaks, you listen. BROSSARD, Que. — It’s Monday, and the Montreal Canadiens are working their way through a neutral-zone drill that forces a winger to pick “When he’s going about his business during a game, you can tell how up a puck by the sideboards and bump it to his supporting centreman. In competitive he is, how bad he wants to win, and he’s constantly doing the this instance, that’s Andrew Shaw’s task, and right as he goes to right thing,” says Gallagher. “Day after day, he does the work and does complete it, he’s met with the full force of Shea Weber’s 240-pound the things he needs to do not only to get better himself but to help other frame. guys and help the team. Weber rides Shaw into the wall and pulls back ever so slightly from “He’s a leader in every sense of the word. He understands the difference driving him straight through the glass. Then he skates away from the between right and wrong, he does the right thing and has this ability to confrontation smiling ear-to-ear and laughing to himself. get people to follow him.” Moments later, the Canadiens are engaged in a 3-on-3 drill between the That, and a few jokes, hits, crosschecks and bear hugs a day. hashmarks and Carey Price’s net, and that’s when Weber crosschecks Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 Brendan Gallagher and jousts with him for position to deny a scoring chance. Then, on his next go, he leans on Michael Chaput, locks him in a bear hug, shoves him into the boards and pulls him down to the ice before going back to the front of the net with that big smile back on his face. For the majority of Montreal’s one-hour workout, Weber’s smile was a near-permanent fixture and reveals a lighter side contrasting the stoic, all-business-all-the-time image he’s cultivated since his early days with the Nashville Predators. As he spars with his teammates on the ice and trades jokes with them off it, you also can’t help but remark how comfortable Weber has become in his third season with the Canadiens. “I feel much more at home now,” he says in response to a question comparing the feeling he has now with the one he had after being traded from Nashville to Montreal for P.K. Subban in 2016. “You set your roots and get more used to things, know your neighborhood and surroundings.” Weber has found his place at the centre of a tight-knit Canadiens group which he became captain of in October. He’s helped lead Montreal to a 20-10-2 record since returning from off-season ankle and knee surgeries which forced him to miss the team’s first 24 games. The six-foot-four native of Sicamous, B.C., has nine goals, 21 points, and leads the team in average time on ice per game (24:12). And his imprint in their dressing room, from the small piece of real estate he owns adjacent to the Canadiens crest that sits in the middle of the floor, has been enormous. “He’s the guy,” says 20-year-old defence partner Victor Mete. “He’s definitely serious, but he likes to have fun around the guys as much as anyone. He’s always making jokes, all the time, about everybody. “He’ll walk into the room every day, and every time I come in, he’s always like screaming, ‘What’s up, meat sauce?’ I think he just goes after everybody. No one’s safe.” The same can be said of Weber on the ice. Whether it’s a practice or game, his opponents feel his wrath. “I try to stay away from him as much as possible,” says Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin. Gallagher, meanwhile, welcomes the ability to compete against Weber in practice. “He’s a guy that doesn’t go easy on you, so it’s something that gets you ready for the next game,” says Gallagher. The Canadiens next play in Nashville on Thursday in what will be Weber’s 900th career game. It will be a special one for Weber after spending 11 seasons with the Predators — six of them as captain — and he relishes the opportunity to return. “It was great city for me for 11 years,” he says. “Obviously there’s going to be roots and stuff that you’ve got there. But at the end of the day, we’ve got a job to do, and that’s what’s most important.” There’s that serious side again. Everyone with the Canadiens respects it, just as they respect his affability. 1130762 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Senators expect changes to come before four game road trip ends

Canadian Press February 13, 2019, 1:58 PM

OTTAWA — There’s a good chance the Ottawa Senators‘ roster will look significantly different by the time they return home from their four-game road trip. Any or all of impact players Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel could soon be on the move as the Feb. 25 trade deadline approaches. Magnus Paajarvi and Anders Nilsson are also set to become unrestricted free agents and could be dealt. "I would say there’s a lot of guys carrying a bigger suitcase," Senators forward Bobby Ryan said. "You take it for what it is because it’s that time of year and we’re in a results driven business and we’re not getting them. You feel for the guys who are really going through it, but that being said you’ve still got to go to work and still get to the rink and get the job done." The Senators are off to Detroit, Winnipeg, Chicago and New Jersey before returning home for a meeting with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb.22. Players are hopeful the road trip can serve as a bit of a distraction from all the trade talks. "The good news is we’ll be out of Canada for most of it so you’re not going to see it every time you turn the TV on and those guys aren’t going to hear it and be part of it every second of every day," Ryan said. "There will be some relief in that sense, but I can’t imagine what the three that are really in the middle of it are going through. You just try to be a good teammate and answer questions if they have them, if not you let them go about their business." Added defenceman Dylan DeMelo: "It will be good to get on the road and hang with the guys and get away from the TV and stuff like that. I think the guys are doing a good job being professionals, but being on the road is maybe a bit of an excuse to stay away from the outside noise. It will be on all of us to stay focused and keep it to business as usual." The Senators (21-30-5) sit dead last in the standings, which usually means change is inevitable, but the question remains how big will the changes be. Losing any combination of Stone, Duchene or Dzingel will have a significant impact. Stone leads the Senators in scoring with 26 goals and 31 assists, while Duchene is second with 25 goals and 28 assists. Both are alternate captains and provide leadership that would be hard to replace. Dzingel is fourth in team scoring with 21 goals and 20 assists and has developed into a solid top-six forward. "I think we’ve done a good job dealing with all the speculation and the guys are doing a good job keeping the distractions outside the room," said forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau. "We have a lot of guys who’ve been through trade deadlines before and we’re making sure to help the younger ones deal with the distraction of it all." Pageau understands changes are inevitable and players have difficult choices to make, but says the group will deal with whatever happens as a team. "We’re a very tight group this year and we support each other regardless of what’s going on whether it’s stuff on the ice or off and that’s exactly how we’re going to deal with this road trip and anything that happens." Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130763 Websites "No, not yet," he said. "I tried that early, if you remember. I tried putting the line back together and they weren't ready to go. When everybody's up and running that might happen, but until I see you're at the top of your TSN.CA / Babcock: Keeping Rielly on his strong side is key game that's not what we're doing." Nylander played with Matthews after resolving a contract stalemate with the team, but struggled to adjust after the long layoff. It’s only recently Mark Masters that the 22-year-old Swede has felt more like himself. “I feel way more comfortable skating and creating chances and staying on it and getting those second chances," Nylander told a group of TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes reporters including Leafs Nation Network. on the Maple Leafs, who practised at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Nylander made a great play to set up Nazem Kadri for a goal in the third period on Tuesday, winning a puck battle on the forecheck, maintaining What did Mike Babcock see in the final 40 minutes in Denver that made possession and feeding the centre for a tap-in on the doorstep. him want to stick with his new-look defence pairings? "Amazing," gushed Kadri after the game. "He had eyes in the back of his “I saw Morgan Rielly on the left side,” the Toronto Maple Leafs coach head. We've been able to generate some pretty solid chemistry." said succinctly. "It just feels like my legs are going," Nylander said, "and now I have the After the first period in Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, conditioning to stay on those second pucks and keep going and staying Babcock put his blueliners in a blender. Rielly, who had shifted to the hungry." right to play with lefty Jake Muzzin since the bye week trade, was reunited with Ron Hainsey. Muzzin joined Nikita Zaitsev while Jake But Babcock still needs to see more before Nylander reclaims his old Gardiner played with fellow lefty Travis Dermott, who shifted to his off spot in the lineup. side to make it work. "Yeah, he's just got to keep getting better with and without the puck and “It’s nice,” Rielly acknowledged when asked about returning to his natural be dominant and the more dominant he gets, quicker with the puck he side. “That’s where you’re most comfortable. That’s where you want to gets, the more opportunity he'll get that way." be.” The coach noted that playing in a sheltered role against third lines and Babcock had made it clear from the first practice after Muzzin was third defence pairings is also helpful when it comes to getting Nylander acquired from the Los Angeles Kings that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea feeling good and back on track. of moving Rielly, amid a breakout season, to his off side. The coach wants the defenceman who makes the most plays with the puck to be in Nylander must be more dominant to earn reunion with Matthews the best situation to do that. The original alignment was designed to help Despite their impressive history playing together, Maple Leafs head Muzzin get comfortable. So, this shuffle seemed destined to happen coach Mike Babcock says he hasn't been tempted to reunite Auston sooner than later. Matthews and William Nylander, explaining that he wants to see "It was something we've been talking quite a bit about," Babcock said Nylander be more dominant on the ice to earn a promotion to the top-six. after the game Tuesday, "just because we think Mo should play on the The right winger currently playing with Matthews has looked pretty good left. We think he provides way more offence, way more shots and he's a of late. Kasperi Kapanen has three goals in the last two games. The better player over there. It's important to have your best guys play in their chemistry between the pair was evident on Toronto’s first goal Tuesday. best spots." The Matthews line was on the defensive against Colorado’s top line Rielly had one goal and four assists in the six games playing on the right when the 21-year-old Toronto centre intercepted a pass by Samuel side. Girard. Kapanen immediately took off. "We have a group where we're willing to move around if we have to," he "As soon as Matty gets it in our zone, I’m always looking at the d-man said, "but I think I speak for most defencemen – you’re more comfortable and seeing what the position is and where they are and see how my on your natural side and that’s just the way it is." speed is and if I’m standing still then it’s a little bit different," Kapanen But with five lefties in the top six someone has to switch and that explained, "but if I’m moving a bit … obviously I’m going to try and get a someone will now be Dermott, who got some experience on the right with breakaway or at least a one-on-one or something." the Marlies last season. Thursday will mark the first time Dermott starts "We’ve talked about it," said Matthews. "He can obviously fly and when an NHL game on his off side. he gets out like that and if nothing’s open maybe shoot it him, he can "I feel comfortable on the right side and playing with Jakey is lots of fun," catch it, or bank it to him." the 22-year-old said. "I think we play a similar game and he plays a game On this occasion Matthews lofted a perfect pass into thin air, which that I aspire to play like … I feel like our minds pretty much are in sync, Kapanen gloved down. Could it have been placed better? which it makes it easier." "No, I don’t think so," Kapanen said. "It’s better, to be honest, to catch it Babcock downplayed the significance of the shuffle. and drop it than to put it in front because you never know where it’s going "I think we make way too big a deal out of it," he said. "After the power to bounce." play, after penalty kill, the lines are different every time, the D [pairings] When executed at such a high level, the play is almost impossible to are different. On offensive-zone faceoffs, we often go with different D defend. than we would in the D zone.” "At some point you might think you can catch it,” observed Gardiner, And regardless of where everyone lines up, there’s no disputing the offering the perspective of a defenceman, “and obviously that whole time addition of Muzzin has been a huge plus. Toronto is 5-1-1 since the 2014 he’s been skating past you so if you have to hesitate for a split second Stanley Cup champion joined the squad. you’re probably going to get roasted." “We’re way deeper through six so you’re not as paranoid about who’s on “It’s terrible to defend,” said Dermott. “Very tough. And not much you can the ice and when they’re out there,” Babcock noted. really do to plan for it. Coaches want you to be tight up to the guy, but Leafs Ice Chips: Rielly back on the left as Babcock sticks with new-look when you have a guy like Kappy coming down on you when he’s going pairs forward and you’re going backward there’s not much you can do." Mike Babcock is planning to stick with the new defence pairings he used Indeed, not even Nathan MacKinnon could catch Kapanen once he was in Tuesday night's win over the Avs for Thursday's night's game against in the clear. the Knights. Babcock re-united Morgan Rielly with Ron Hainsey, Jake Now, Matthews and Kapanen have connected like this a few times this Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev formed the second pair, while Jake Gardiner season. Kapanen said this latest play was reminiscent of the hook-up was moved down to the third pairing with Travis Dermott. Mark Masters they had in Chicago in the first week of the year. That goal also came in has more. the first period. William Nylander has eight points in nine games and looks a lot like the "No different than a quarterback in football that goes long every once in a guy who rode shotgun with Auston Matthews last season. So, is Babcock while," Babcock noted, "otherwise they’re standing on top of you. You got toying with the idea of reuniting the pair? to create some space underneath so you can make some plays. We’d rather make those (underneath) plays, to be honest with you, but you have to loosen it up especially at the start of the game when there’s no room." A play like the alley-oop can help set the table for the rest of the game. "It opens up space underneath," Matthews said. "You push them back and that's more speed coming under whether it’s me, Pat (Marleau) or the D that’s jumping in and if and they play up tight then Kappy can fly and just put the puck in the area." Anatomy of an alley-oop: Inside the Matthews-Kapanen magic The Avalanche came out flying on Tuesday night, but couldn't stop the speed of Kasperi Kapanen who corralled a long alley-oop pass from Auston Matthews before scoring on the ensuing breakaway. Mark Masters has more on what made the Matthews-Kapanen connection so magical. ---- Lines at Wednesday’s Leafs practice: Forwards Hyman-Tavares-Marner Marleau-Matthews-Kapanen Johnsson-Kadri-Nylander Lindholm-Gauthier-Brown Ennis Defencemen Rielly-Hainsey Muzzin-Zaitsev Gardiner-Dermott Holl-Ozhiganov Goaltenders Andersen Sparks Power play units at Wednesday’s Leafs practice: Rielly Matthews-Kauri-Marner Tavares Gardiner Kapanen-Johnsson-Nylander Marleau TSN.CA LOADED: 02.14.2019 1130764 Websites This is just a sampling of some of those contracts, and players with full no-move clauses may not even have interest in waiving to play for a non- contending team like Ottawa over the next couple of seasons. You can TSN.CA / Senators should be buyers at the trade deadline weigh the likelihood of each of these players being moved how you see fit, but there's no doubt that some of these names are readily available.

Who are the most interesting options? I would pay specific attention to Travis Yost the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are a bad team in desperate need of rebuilding in a hurry around Connor McDavid. But their cap situation next year and beyond is increasingly challenging – they are swamped with expensive contracts and overpays for middling talent and need to find If the Ottawa Senators hope to return to a competitive brand of hockey in some cap relief to clear the space needed to hunt for better players to put time for the 2021-22 season they must be one of the biggest buyers at around McDavid. the NHL trade deadline. Could Ottawa be a landing spot for a player like Milan Lucic? Lucic has Most of the focus for Ottawa right now concerns their big expiring four more years left on what’s ultimately a poisonous contract and has a contracts. Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, Ryan Dzingel and Cody Ceci all sit no-move clause to boot. It has been reported that both the team and the on TSN’s Trade Bait board as Ottawa looks to overhaul their roster. player were looking for a trade partner, and the back half of his contract Those four players are worth nearly $20 million in cap space on their sees more in cap allocation than actual salary paid. current deals. Duchene, Stone and Dzingel all figure to earn raises this summer – be it from Ottawa or another NHL organization. If Edmonton were to retain a piece of Lucic’s salary and send a couple of desirable picks (or a high-level prospect) the way of Ottawa, would the Ownership has made loud overtures regarding a willingness to spend Senators bite? I think they should certainly entertain it. And with some “close to the cap” starting in the 2021-22 season. That’s encouraging salary retained, Ottawa could likely find another trade partner for Lucic from a long-term perspective, but we must also consider what that means down the road. in the short term – that the Senators have little interest in being competitive over the next two-and-a-half seasons, and that their sole Another player of interest is Vancouver’s Loui Eriksson. The Canucks are intent over this period will be to ice a team close to the salary cap floor in a much better spot relative to the salary cap but Eriksson’s contract is while acquiring assets for their big push in 2021-22. still the second biggest on the team to Bo Horvat. Moreover, the contract is very back-diving in nature – a cash-strong team like Vancouver could If Ottawa plays this right, it’s a very defensible strategy. There is little really benefit from clearing Eriksson’s large cap hit ($6 million per year), worse than being stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity, a team that’s never while a cash-poor team like Ottawa could really benefit from carrying a bad enough to acquire premium draft picks and never good enough to do player who is owed $5 million less in real salary than the cap hit would credible damage in the postseason. indicate. (That number is $9 million less if a trade materialized after July We’ve seen a number of examples of teams bottoming out in this 1, since Eriksson is due a $4 million signing bonus on that day.) manner, only to rebound a few years down the road. While I think Ottawa A trade here would give Vancouver a lot more roster flexibility to hunt at certainly risks burning whatever equity they have left with their fan base the trade deadline or during the off-season, and the expiring contract in by letting more marquee talent walk, they really don’t have much of a 2021-22 would be kind to Ottawa’s rebuild plan. choice if the goal is to be competitive years from now. The most intriguing name on the list may be Jeff Carter. Carter’s contract So yes, Ottawa will likely be selling off a number of assets. But at the is very back-diving – his $5.2 million cap hit over the next three seasons same time they should be buying – strategically, of course. Remember: pales in comparison to the $2.6 million in salary owed per year. Carter there are salary cap implications with purging players like Erik Karlsson, also doesn’t have any sort of clause in his contract that would prohibit a Kyle Turris, Duchene, Stone, Dzingel, and, even to a lesser extent, Cody deal, which means Los Angeles could continue clearing the decks in their Ceci. rebuild by attaching a compensation package to him in a trade with The team still needs to meet the salary cap floor over the next couple of Ottawa. seasons. If you expect the 2019-20 season to feature an $83 million These are interesting times for the Senators. Most of the focus and salary cap and 2020-21 to feature an $87 million cap (based on 5 per attention will be on the players they are selling off. But if they are serious cent growth), those years would come with cap floors of $62 million and about a return to competitiveness in a few seasons, they should look to $65 million, respectively. purchase as many draft lottery tickets and/or prospects as possible. Their Ottawa doesn’t have the contracts right now to meet either of those cap situation certainly allows for it. targets, though there are still a tremendous amount of unknowns. TSN.CA LOADED: 02.14.2019 CapFriendly has Ottawa at just $45 million ($17 million below the cap floor) on a base of 14 contracts in 2019-20, and just $19 million ($46 million below) on a base of five contracts in 2020-21. The organization has been very vocal about clearing roster spots for some of their younger players and prospects on entry-level deals. So while future roster spots will fill up, they will likely be loaded with entry- level contracts. That means Ottawa is going to need some help meeting the cap floor, especially with Karlsson out of the fold and Duchene and Stone appearing headed that way. This is where the opportunity lies. The Senators are flush with cap space and are going into an aggressive two-year rebuild in order to return to competitiveness. One way they can expedite the process? Start buying up bad contracts, especially bad contracts that are back-diving in nature. There are plenty of cap-strapped teams around the league that would love to get off some of their bad contracts. Out of curiosity, I went and looked at some of the more notable back-diving deals – where the cap hit far exceeds the actual salary owed – across the league. We want to focus specifically on those deals that are eating up a fair bit of the cap for their respective teams and are set to expire in relatively short order. It’s these types of contracts teams might couple with very appetizing draft picks and/or prospects to move, depending on how crippling they are in nature. Below is a snapshot of some of those deals – back-diving in nature, some of which exist merely on paper at this point due to injury. I’ve also included some of CapFriendly’s most common buyout deals as well. (Note: Ottawa already has at least two of these deals on the books right now by way of Marian Gaborik and Mikkel Boedker.) 1130765 Websites “We have cap space to do things, but the inclination is to not take on rentals,” McPhee said.

The Golden Knights sit firmly in a playoff spot once again this year, with a TSN.CA / Countdown to TradeCentre: Senators picking up the phone? nine-point lead for third in the Pacific Division. In the Interim 8-10 minutes The Edmonton Oilers appear set to have interim general manager Keith Gretzky handle their trade deadline, while head coach Ken Hitchcock is on an expiring deal with the club. The National Hockey League's Trade Deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 25, and teams will be making decisions on whether to buy or sell TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie said the franchise should look to start and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the a brighter future for the Oilers at the deadline, and not focus on the greatest value. Check out the latest trade rumours and speculation from immediate needs of Hitchcock. around the NHL beat. Oilers' players react after Hitchcock calls out team Picking Up The Phone? Ken Hitchcock lashed out at his players for an effort level that led to their TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported Monday that Matt Duchene's seventh loss in eight games after a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. On agent is expected to touch base with the Senators on Tuesday to further Monday, the players reacted to Hitchcock questioning their lack of desire. dialogue, while the team plans to take another run at signing Mark Stone “They obviously brought (Hithcock) in and they value him, in terms of in the coming days. coming in to try to stop the bleeding,” McKenzie explained on TSN Radio Expectation is Pat Brisson, agent for Matt Duchene, will touch base 1260 Edmonton. “But the bleeding hasn’t necessarily stopped. I think Tuesday with the Senators to further the dialogue... also hearing Sens he’s viewed as a valuable resource, but you’ve also got to be careful. plan to take another run at Mark Stone’s camp in next few days. In the “To your point, at some point here they’re going to bring in a new boss. meantime I would think teams will start calling Ottawa soon.. The new boss may have different ideas than anybody else. So you’ve got — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 11, 2019 to be careful what you do between now and the new boss comes in. LeBrun noted that with no extensions in place, he expects the Senators' “That said, when you bring a new boss in - a new general manager in - if phone line to start lighting up with calls from interested teams. the first thing you do is handcuff him with salary cap concerns, that’s not so good. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger told TSN Radio Edmonton 1260 on Monday that the Senators could be without all three of their top pending “I think the best thing anybody could hope for here down the stretch is UFAs - Stone, Duchene and Ryan Dzingel - by the end of the day of Feb. that the Oilers find a way to alleviate some of the cap crunch for next 25. He explained that while the Senators want to keep their top scoring year. If there’s a way to move some contracts, then do so. But I think forwards, the decision will boil down to the players. you’ve also got be really, really careful in terms of what assets you give up and how significant your moves are in terms of the cost of doing “That’s a great question if the players want that,” said Dreger. “And I think business. you’re right, I think Ottawa would love to have the ability to sign all three of those guys - Stone, Duchene, and Dzingel. It’s unlikely. I don’t see any “Because somewhere down the line here, whether it’s a month from now way that they get all three signed, and I think that it’s a bit of a longshot or three months from now, there’s going to be a new general manager. that they get two of the three. Some who I trust think that all three might He doesn’t want to be saddled with a whole bunch of knee-jerk decisions be walking. We’re going to find out sooner than later. between now and the trade deadline to satisfy some short-term situation. “It feels like something may go down this week. And that might be “But I think the Oilers know that, from Bob Nicholson on down, that something as little - although it’s significant - as one or both of the big they’ve got be a little bit careful in terms of what they do, and judge each boys in Stone and Duchene just coming clean and saying, ‘Look, we’re of those decisions accordingly.” not signing here. We’re going to go to the market or at least we’re open Nicholson stated last month the team would not trade their first-round to be traded. We understand the Ottawa Senators can’t let us walk into pick this season at the deadline and said they would not trade top unrestricted free agency, but we’re just not signing here.’ prospects "unless we get some real good pieces back." “Now, whether that happens with both of those guys this week, one of The Oilers sit six points back of the Minnesota Wild for the final wild-card those guys this week, we’re going to have to wait and see. But when spot in the Western Conference. you’re this close to the February 25 trade deadline and you’re trying to maximize the return for two star players, then I feel like Pierre Dorion and Sticking It Out the Ottawa Senators are going to need as much time as possible to try and manufacture the greatest return.” TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said Monday that unless Jeff Skinner wants to leave the Buffalo Sabres, he will not be moved at the trade Standing Pat? deadline. David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review Journal reports that Vegas “I mentioned this in my piece today, unless Jeff Skinner wants out of Golden Knights general manager George McPhee has been "actively Buffalo - which we’re getting the complete opposite indications, he seems working the phone lines" to gauge the trade market and notes the Golden to love playing there with Jack Eichel and is trying to sign an extension - Knights have plenty of draft picks and cap space to use as fodder at the he’s got a full no-move," LeBrun told TSN Radio Winnipeg 1290. deadline. “And I think a lot of people forgot about that because he got traded from McPhee, however, told the Review Journal that he may opt to stand pat Carolina to Buffalo, but I was made to understand yesterday by a source at the deadline and trust in his current roster. - and I had forgotten yesterday myself - that that no-move and no-trade actually carried over, it did not leave. So he’s in full control of his destiny. “There are years where you feel like you have to do something to help your team, and there are years you look at your team and say, ‘It’s a “Again, unless he comes out and says, ‘I want out,’ I don’t think Jeff solid team and we like it as is.’ And that’s how we feel this year,” McPhee Skinner is part of the trade deadline coverage. So we can probably forget said. “We’re a pretty solid team, and we’re not interested in taking about that side of things, whether he signs or not.” anyone off of our team, off our roster. We’ll be involved, and we’ll see where it goes.” Through 55 games, Skinner has 33 goals and 50 points and is on pace for career-best marks in both. McPhee made a big splash at the deadline last year, acquiring Tomas Tatar from the Detroit Red Wings for a first, second, and third-round pick. Skinner, a pending free agent, is listed at No. 50 on the TSN Trade Bait The move failed to work out for the team as Tatar dressed in only eight of board. the team's playoff games, posting one goal and two points before being The Sabres currently sit four points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for traded again to the Montreal Canadiens in September. the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand. The team has $3.55 million in cap space and could free up to $8 million TSN.CA LOADED: 02.14.2019 more by placing David Clarkson and Erik Haula on LTIR, but McPhee said the team isn't interested in doing so just for a rental player. 1130766 Websites

USA TODAY / Ducks finally show emotion, win general manager Bob Murray's first game as coach

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Published 1:42 a.m. ET Feb. 14, 2019

Perhaps, all general managers should consider stepping behind the bench when making a coaching change. Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray did exactly that when he decided he didn't like the way the team was playing under coach Randy Carlyle during a seven-game losing streak and a stretch of 19 losses in 21 games. He named himself interim coach for the remainder of the season. Yes, a coaching change can bring a turnaround. The Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues are the league's hottest teams after making moves earlier in the season. But a general manager behind the bench adds pressure on the players. They're not just trying to impress someone for playing time. They're trying to impress their boss to hang on to their jobs. Murray, who had never coached an NHL game before Wednesday, had complained that the team wasn't playing with emotion. And in the 1-0 victory against the Vancouver Canucks, the emotion was evident. Jacob Silfverberg, a potential unrestricted free agent who could be traded by Murray, gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead after Anaheim's forechecking forced a turnover. That was the first time since Jan. 23 that the Ducks had scored the opening goal. And then there were the fights. The Murray-led Ducks seem more willing to drop the gloves. Ryan Kesler fights Josh Levio. Ummm, what? #Canucks#LetsGoDuckspic.twitter.com/QkBHjgkqRX — Nathan Kanter (@NathanKanter11) February 14, 2019 Ryan Kesler and Vancouver's Josh Leivo fought in the first period. Later in the first period, captain Ryan Getzlaf bowled over Jake Virtanen, who earlier had checked Getzlaf's teammate, Corey Perry. Ryan Getzlaf interferes with Jake Virtanen in the neutral zone #Canucks#LetsGoDuckspic.twitter.com/CSRg1om6rg — Vanessa Jang (@vanessajang) February 14, 2019 Early in the second period, Getzlaf fought Canucks defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who was retaliating for Getzlaf's earlier hit. Gudbranson did stand up for Virtanen by fighting Getzlaf at the start of the 2nd period #Canucks#LetsGoDuckspic.twitter.com/CLNGoPtyTj — Nathan Kanter (@NathanKanter11) February 14, 2019 Heading into the game, the Ducks had nine fights, a pace well below last year's 30 fights. But the boss is now watching from ice level instead of from the press box. And the Ducks are showing the intensity that had been missing during their recent blowout losses. Goalie Kevin Boyle, making his NHL debut, made Silfverberg's goal stand up with a 35-save shutout. Even with all of the losing under Carlyle, the Ducks are only six points out of a playoff spot after winning in Murray's debut. USA TODAY LOADED: 02.14.2019